Work‐related injuries and illnesses (WRII) presenting to Illinois hospitals, 2017−2021: The importance of emergency department (ED) data

Between 2017 and 2021 there were 488,033 hospital presentations (95.9% nonadmissions) for WRII in Illinois, equating to a crude annual population rate of 1502.1/100,000. Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW) were disproportionately treated for illnesses, while Hispanic or Latino workers were disproportionately treated for injuries. African-Americans had the highest rate of ED emergent presentations (incident rate ratio [IRR] = 1.3, ref = NHW) and were less likely to be admitted for emergent presentations (IRR = 0.7, ref = NHW). ED presentations were more likely to be female, present with an injury, and at a rural, versus urban, hospital. Radiological investigations compromised the majority of procedures for nonadmitted patients (n = 403,317), and 94.8% were coded for a body region CONCLUSION: Between 2017 and 2021 in Illinois, there were nearly 500,000 hospital visits charged to workers' compensation totaling over US$ four billion. ED data provide additional insights into work-related chronic conditions, health disparities, and the usage of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for WRII.