Rotator Cuff Tears, Repairs, and Shoulder Arthroplasties Among Workers' Compensation Claimants: A 16-Year Longitudinal Study at a National Workers' Compensation Insurance Carrier.

Background: Rotator cuff repair (RCR) is increasingly being performed for both acute traumatic and degenerative tears of the rotator cuff, whereas total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) is reserved for osteonecrosis of the humeral head, arthritis of the glenohumeral joint, and failed RCR.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the incidence and patient characteristics of rotator cuff tears (RCTs), RCRs, and TSAs among workers' compensation claimants.

Methods: A total of 8347 RCTs indemnity claims filed to Accident Fund Group from 2007 to 2022 were studied.

The Covid-19 Pandemic and The Future of Work.

Introduction: The "future of work" refers to workplace modifications projected to occur following large scale events impacting workforce health and safety such as pandemics, technological advancements, or economic shifts. This paper examines the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the future of work.

Methods: The electronic databases PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus were explored using search terms such as "post-pandemic," "working force," and "future of work" to retrieve papers published between 2000 and 2023.

Outcomes for a Heat Illness Prevention Program in Outdoor Workers: A 9-Year Overview.

Objective: To describe the outcomes effect of removing the medical surveillance component from a heat illness prevention program (HIPP) for outdoor workers from a Central Texas municipality.

Methods: Heat-related illness (HRI) frequency and workers' compensation (WC) cost were assessed retrospectively in a cohort of 329 workers from 2011-2019. During 2011-2017, the HIPP included training, acclimatization, and medical surveillance.

Is Arthroscopic Meniscectomy Associated With an Increased Risk of Total Knee Arthroplasty for Claimants in the Workers' Compensation System? A 10-Year Study of Workers' Compensation Claims From a Large Nationwide Workers' Compensation Insurance Carrier.

Background: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a commonly performed knee surgery and prior arthroscopic meniscectomy (AM) has been linked to an increased risk of TKA in the general population.

Objective: To study the relationship between AM and TKA among injured workers whose medical care is paid for under workers' compensation (WC).

Method: A total of 17,247 lost-time claims depicting all arthroscopic knee surgical procedures performed from 2007 to 2017 were followed to the end of 2022 and analyzed.

COVID-19 vaccine uptake before and after a vaccine mandate at a major academic hospital: Trends by race/ethnicity and level of patient contact.

Objectives: To assess vaccine coverage rates before and after implementation of a COVID-19 vaccine mandate among Health care Personnel (HCP) and demographic characteristics associated with vaccine uptake Design, Setting, and Participants: Cohort study conducted among 10,889 hospital employees followed from Dec 16, 2020 - October 31, 2021, at a large academic hospital in Philadelphia.

Main Outcome And Measures: Time to COVID-19 vaccination and vaccine series completion rates before and after implementation of a COVID-19 vaccine mandate based on age, gender, race/ethnicity, and level of patient contact/occupational group.

Results: The vaccination series completion rate was 86.

Perceptions of the Availability of Personal Protective Equipment and Its Association With Burnout Among US Healthcare Personnel During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic, 2020-2021.

Objective: The aim of the study is to explore associations among personal protective equipment (PPE) availability, workplace environment, and burnout among US healthcare personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: The study used an online healthcare provider (HCP) survey (December 2020-February 2021) regarding PPE confidence, availability, burnout, and workplace environment.

Results: Lack of appropriate PPE was reported by 27% of 799 US HCP surveyed.

Dose Escalations Among Workers' Compensation Claimants Using Opioid Medications-An 8 Year Postinjury Follow up Study.

Objective: The aim of the study is to determine the morphine equivalent dose in milligrams (MED)/day escalation trend after initial utilization.

Methods: A total of 25,108 lost time claims filed between 1998 and 2007 were followed for 8 years from injury date. Claims were stratified by initial MED/day at 3 months after injury into four groups (0, 1 to < 15, 15 to < 30, and ≥30 MED/day).

Best Practices for Implementation of an Employee Health COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic-A Model for Future Pandemic Preparedness.

Objectives: The aims of the study are to determine best practices from two large-scale, academic medical centers' employee coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination clinics and to apply them to create scalable modules for rapid administration of 10,000 vaccinations.

Methods: The weekly number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered was captured. Processes were compared to determine best practices, which informed the scalable financial model.

Marked Decreases in Time Lost From Work Among COVID-19 Claimants During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: An Observational Study of Claims Filed at a Nationwide US Workers Compensation Insurance Carrier.

Objective: To explore the long-term persistence of COVID-19-related impairment and the ability to work after the acute phase of the illness.

Method: The 19,101 COVID-19 workers' compensation claims filed between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021, with follow-up to May 31, 2022, were analyzed.

Results: The average time lost from work decreased from 77 days in the first quarter of 2020 to 9.

The Future of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Occupational and environmental medicine (OEM) is an ACGME-accredited preventive medicine specialty focused on work as a social determinant of health and population health. OEM providers recognize and mitigate workplace and environmental hazards, treat resultant injuries and illnesses, and promote the health, wellness and resiliency of workers and communities. Multidisciplinary residency training in clinical medicine, epidemiology, public and population health, toxicology, exposure and risk assessment, and emergency preparedness equips them with the skill set needed for leadership roles in diverse settings.

Early Drug Prescription Patterns as Predictors of Final Workers Compensation Claim Costs and Closure: An Updated Analysis on an Expanded Cohort.

Objective: The aim of the study is to determine the associations of workers' compensation claim costs and return to work with drugs prescribed for early symptom management.

Methods: Claims filed from 1998 to 2007 were followed for 10 years from the injury date. Drugs analyzed included gabapentin, pregabalin, antipsychotics, antidepressants, sedatives, benzodiazepines, carisoprodol, and opioids, controlling for initial reserve, sex, age, physical therapy, attorney involvement, and surgery.

Attributes of Long Duration COVID-19 Workers' Compensation Claims.

Objective: To examine the attributes associated with long duration COVID- 19 workers' compensation (WC) claims.

Methods: A study was conducted on 13,153 COVID-19 WC claims accepted by a workers' compensation insurance carrier between January 1, 2020 and November 30, 2021.

Results: 1) Ninety-five percent of accepted WC claims were closed within the study period; 2) five percent of claims had 30 days or longer of lost time accounting for 65% of total paid WC costs; 3) medical costs increased 8-fold once paid days lost crossed the threshold of 60 days or greater; 4) age was the strongest risk factor associated with increased WC costs and prolonged impairment.

Clinical and Psychological Factors Associated With Return to Work Among United States Diplomats Who Sustained a Work-Related Injury While on Assignment in Havana, Cuba.

Objective: To determine factors associated with return to work in US diplomats injured during a work assignment in Cuba.

Methods: In this case series work ability was determined at each visit. Questionnaires used included the Symptom Score Questionnaire, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Quality-of-Life Inventory, and Patient Health Questionnaire.

The Effect of Introduction of Motorized Stretchers on Hospital-Based Patient Transporter Injuries and Resultant Workers' Compensation Costs.

Unlabelled: Manual stretchers cause more injuries than hydraulic stretchers in workers who transport patients.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of introducing motorized stretchers on transporter injuries and resultant workers' compensation costs.

Methods: The number of transporters who sustained injuries related to stretcher manipulation, and associated workers' compensation costs, before and after the introduction of motorized stretchers, was determined.

Factors Associated With COVID-19 Vaccine Receipt by Health Care Personnel at a Major Academic Hospital During the First Months of Vaccine Availability.

Importance: Several COVID-19 vaccines have been authorized in the US, yet preliminary evidence suggests high levels of vaccine hesitancy and wide racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in uptake.

Objective: To assess COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among health care personnel (HCP) during the first 4 months of availability in a large academic hospital, compare acceptance with previously measured vaccine hesitancy, and describe racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in vaccine uptake.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cross-sectional study included 12 610 HCP who were offered COVID-19 vaccination at a major academic hospital in Philadelphia between December 16, 2020, and April 16, 2021.

Prevention of Occupational Heat-Related Illnesses.

High ambient temperatures and strenuous physical activity put workers at risk for a variety of heat-related illnesses and injuries. Through primary prevention, secondary prevention, and treatment, OEM health providers can protect workers from the adverse effects of heat. This statement by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine provides guidance for OEM providers who serve workers and employers in industries where heat exposure occurs.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine hesitancy among physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses in two academic hospitals in Philadelphia.

Objective: To evaluate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine hesitancy among healthcare personnel (HCP) with significant clinical exposure to COVID-19 at 2 large, academic hospitals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Design, Setting, And Participants: HCP were surveyed in November-December 2020 about their intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Methods: The survey measured the intent among HCP to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, timing of vaccination, and reasons for or against vaccination.

Racial/Ethnic Differences in COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Health Care Workers in 2 Large Academic Hospitals.

Importance: Significant differences in hesitancy to receive COVID-19 vaccination by race/ethnicity have been observed in several settings. Racial/ethnic differences in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among health care workers (HCWs), who face occupational and community exposure to COVID-19, have not been well described.

Objective: To assess hesitancy to COVID-19 vaccination among HCWs across different racial/ethnic groups and assess factors associated with vaccine hesitancy.

ACOEM OEM Core Competencies: 2021.

Competency is defined as possession of sufficient physical, intellectual, and behavioral qualifications to perform a task or serve in a role which adequately accomplishes a desired outcome. Recognizing the need for defining competencies essential to occupational and environmental medicine (OEM) physicians, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine developed its first set of OEM Competencies in 1998. Later updated in 2008, and again in 2014, the increasing globalization and modernization of the workplace, along with published research on OEM practice, required an update to ensure OEM physicians stay current with the field and practice of OEM.

Outcomes of a Survey-Based Approach to Determine Factors Contributing to the Shortage of Occupational Medicine Physicians in the United States.

Context: There is a long-standing shortage of formally trained Occupational & Environmental Medicine (OEM) physicians despite OEM practitioners experiencing high satisfaction and low burnout.

Objective: To explore the root causes of this shortage and suggest potential remedies.

Methods: Cross-sectional surveys were administered to medical students queried regarding OEM training, practicing OEM physicians queried regarding timing of specialty choice, and OEM Train-in-Place (TIP) program graduates queried regarding satisfaction with training.

Outcomes of an Intervention to Increase Physicians Underrepresented in Medicine in Occupational Medicine Training.

Context: Diversity in the US physician workforce is important. Physicians Underrepresented in Medicine (UIM) are more likely to serve poor, uninsured, and vulnerable populations.

Objective: To increase the number of UIM physicians in Occupational Medicine.

Effect of CDC Opioid-Prescribing Guidelines in a Community Hospital Emergency Department.

The United States continues to battle the addiction and overdose deaths with the opioid epidemic. Prescription opioids are responsible for more than half of these deaths. This before-after study was conducted to assess the effect of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) opioid prescription guidelines.