Evaluating Disability Insurance Assistance as a Specific Intervention by Physiatrists at a Cancer Center.
Jack B Fu, Melissa P Osborn, Julie K Silver and 4 others
PMID 28628540WHAT IT FOUND
Physiatrists at a cancer center completed disability paperwork for 58 patients, and 45 were approved or renewed.
Deconditioning/fatigue was often recorded as a work-limiting impairment. With no comparison group, this cannot show the paperwork caused approval.
Key findings
01Of 354 new outpatient cancer referrals, 131 had a documented disability or employment discussion, and 58 received disability paperwork assistance.
02Among the 58 patients assisted with disability paperwork, 45 were approved or renewed, 5 were denied, and 8 had unknown outcomes.
03Deconditioning/fatigue was recorded as the primary impairment for 52 of 131 patients with disability discussions and 27 of 58 patients receiving paperwork assistance.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
This was a descriptive chart review at one cancer center, so it may not apply to other settings. There was no comparison group, so the approval rate cannot be attributed to physiatrist paperwork assistance. Many patients also received other physiatric treatments, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. The study only included outpatient referrals, not inpatient referrals for disability paperwork assistance. The study did not analyze family medical leave paperwork or the return-to-work process in detail. Cancer types and severities were heterogeneous, so comparing cancer severities was difficult. Because the design was retrospective, the researchers could not calculate how much time the forms took.
Declared interests
The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 78% approval rate as proof that disability paperwork assistance works. The study had no comparison group, and many assisted patients also received procedures such as injections and electromyograms, medication prescriptions, orthotic or durable medical equipment orders, detailed exercise instruction, and laboratory or radiographic test orders, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated.