8290436 Labor market attachment in patients with suspected work-related shoulder disorder: a danish nation-wide long-term follow-up study

<h3>Objective</h3> To examine the long-term labor market attachment of patients with suspected work-related subacromial impingement syndrome(SIS) referred to Danish departments of occupational medicine, and to identify distinct trajectories of work participation. <h3>Methods</h3> Register-based longitudinal data for 4,164 patients aged 18 to 67 years, assessed and diagnosed with SIS at a Danish department of occupational medicine between 2000 and 2013were included. Public benefit data five years before and after assessment were obtained from nationwide registers. A work participation score – defined as weeks the patient was working divided by number of potential work weeks – was calculated for each half-year during the period. Distinct trajectories of work participation were identified using Latent Class Growth Analysis. <h3>Results</h3> (preliminary data) More than 80% were working five years prior to assessment, this proportion declined to 40% at the time of assessment, with minimal recovery in the subsequent five years. Four trajectories of work participation were identified: high-stable (32%), high-recovering (27%), high-low (28%), and low-descending (13%). Statistically significant differences in sociodemographic characteristics and occupational groups were observed across trajectory classes. Patients in high-stable and high-recovering trajectories tended to have higher level of education, were employed in higher occupational classes, and had fewer general practitioner contacts in the five years prior to assessment as compared to the other two groups. <h3>Conclusion and perspectives</h3> A considerable proportion of patients with suspected work-related SIS did not have their previous level of work participation 5-years after assessment at a Danish department of occupational medicine. The identification of four distinct work participation trajectories highlights the heterogeneity in long-term outcomes. Future research should focus on identifying individuals at highest risk of reduced labor market attachment to facilitate early, tailored rehabilitation interventions. <h3>Funding</h3> This work was supported by the Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at Gødstrup Hospital. No funding, grants, or other support was received.