Reducing lost workdays after work-related injuries: the utilization of athletic trainers in a health system transitional work program.

OBJECTIVE To determine if an internal employee health program (IEHP), including transitional work, with early access to physical medicine and rehabilitation provided by athletic trainers, will reduce missed workdays following work-related injury. METHODS A retrospective review of health system workers' compensation data were conducted for injuries sustained 23-month period preceding (PP) (N = 713) and following IEHP implementation (N = 661). RESULTS Sixty-two PP and 128 IEHP events resulted in lost workdays (LWDs), P < 0.001. For LWDs events, mean days lost decreased from 100.3 ± 119.7 PP to 44.6 ± 69.0 IEHP, P = 0.001, with 2.2 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-4.2) IEHP 3-week odds of returning to work. CONCLUSIONS Internal employee health program reduced LWDs. Internal employee health program was associated with more than 10% increase in LWDs events, but LWDs event mean days lost decreased by more than 50%, with 3-week odds of returning to work more than 2.0.