We will estimate costs of occupational injury and illness using current data and improved methods. Costs will be estimated in the following categories: 1) economic categories of direct (medical, administrative) and indirect (lost earnings, fringe benefits, home production, employer costs); 2) demographic categories involving gender, race, ethnic, and age groups, as well as occupations, industries and states; 3) fatal diseases such as asthma, COPD, pneumoconiosis, bladder cancer, lung cancer, coronary heart disease, and renal disease; 4) non-fatal diseases such as dermatitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, hernia, and poisoning; 5) fatal injuries such as homicides and falls; 6) and non-fatal injuries such as amputations, bums, concussions, electric shock, fractures, sprains and strains. We will also conduct an extensive sensitivity analysis to determine how our estimates vary as key assumptions are altered. Fatal disease costs will be estimated by aggregating and cross-classifying data from government surveys, data sets, and reports. We will assign population-attributable risk percents (PAR%) based upon numerous studies that estimate the contribution of occupational exposures to the development of 19 fatal diseases. Indirect morbidity costs will be based on combining regression analyses of work-loss days, restricted activity days and bed days in the National Health Interview Survey with data on earnings (from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)) and home production. Indirect mortality Costs will use the Biddle model which includes medical cost data from the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) and a present value equation to estimate lost future earnings and home production. The BLS Annual Survey, adjusted for omissions of government workers and the self-employed as well as under-reporting, will be used to estimate non-fatal injuries and illnesses. Medical and indemnity data from the NCCI will be combined with wage-replacement rates to estimate costs in Workers' Compensation (WC) categories: medical only, temporary partial and total disability, permanent partial disability, and permanent total disability. The Biddle model will be used for fatal injuries. To forecast future costs we will combine our current cost estimates across occupations and industries with BLS 10-year projections for future employment in occupations and industries. An over-riding concern will be transparency. We will explain how estimates are derived and fully disclose all limitations. Another concern will be timeliness. The most recent study dates from 1992. But reported national injury rates have been fallen since 1992. Moreover, Workers' Compensation costs fell from 1993 to 1998 but have risen since 1999. Current and comprehensive estimates are needed.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01OH008248-03
Application #
7244296
Study Section
Safety and Occupational Health Study Section (SOH)
Program Officer
Kumar, Lata
Project Start
2005-06-01
Project End
2010-05-31
Budget Start
2007-06-01
Budget End
2008-05-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$150,356
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Davis
Department
Public Health & Prev Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
047120084
City
Davis
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
95618
Leigh, J Paul; Tancredi, Daniel; Jerant, Anthony et al. (2012) Lifetime earnings for physicians across specialties. Med Care 50:1093-101
Bhushan, Abhinav; Leigh, J Paul (2011) National trends in occupational injuries before and after 1992 and predictors of workers' compensation costs. Public Health Rep 126:625-34
Du, Juan; Leigh, J Paul (2011) Incidence of workers compensation indemnity claims across socio-demographic and job characteristics. Am J Ind Med 54:758-70
Bhattacharya, Anasua; Leigh, J Paul (2011) Musculoskeletal disorder costs and medical claim filing in the US retail trade sector. Ind Health 49:517-22
Leigh, J Paul (2011) Economic burden of occupational injury and illness in the United States. Milbank Q 89:728-72
Kim, DaeHwan; Leigh, John Paul (2010) Estimating the effects of wages on obesity. J Occup Environ Med 52:495-500
Leigh, J Paul; Du, Juan (2009) Hypertension and occupation among seniors. J Occup Environ Med 51:661-71
Shuford, Harry; Restrepo, Tanya; Beaven, Nathan et al. (2009) Trends in components of medical spending within workers compensation: results from 37 states combined. J Occup Environ Med 51:232-8
Leigh, J Paul; Wiatrowski, William J; Gillen, Marion et al. (2008) Characteristics of persons and jobs with needlestick injuries in a national data set. Am J Infect Control 36:414-20
Leigh, J Paul; Geraghty, Estella M (2008) High gasoline prices and mortality from motor vehicle crashes and air pollution. J Occup Environ Med 50:249-54