[The rate and factors of return-to-work in head-injured patients following hospitalization].

Return-to-work is often used as a measure of overall recovery from injury or illness. This study focuses on the labor force population who inhabit in Kaohsiung City, and were hospitalized into Chung Ho Memorial Hospital Kaohsiung Medical College in 1992. The patients were contacted for an interview at least six months post-discharge. In addition to the rate of return-to-work by severity, factors were examined for their influence on return-to-work. Of those 85 eligible individuals, the rate of return-to-work was 81.2%. According to the Glasgow Coma Scale, the head injury severity was classified as mild, moderate and severe. The rate of return-to-work by severity were 86.4%, 78.6%, and 58.3%, respectively. Factors influencing return-to-work were divided into pre-injury, hospitalization, and post-discharge period. According to the study, the three influencing factors that correlated with post-injury employment status were number of productive members in family, length of stay, and physical handicap.