Affiliations: Occupational Therapy Department, MacLehose Medical
Rehabilitation Centre, Hospital Authority, Hong Kong | Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong
Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Dr. David Man, Ph.D., Associate
Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic
University, Hung Hom, Kolwoon, Hong Kong, China. Tel.: +852 27666711; Fax: +852
2330 8656; E-mail: rsdavid@polyu.edu.hk
Abstract: Due to advancements in emergency evacuation procedures and
neurosurgical techniques, more patients with brain injury (BI) can survive
cerebral injury and regain a satisfactory degree of recovery through
rehabilitation. Their improvement in physical and cognitive functions can
facilitate their reintegration into the community, especially their return to
work (RTW). Different factors were reported to affect this rate of RTW in
previous studies. This retrospective study thus aimed to investigate the role
of demographic data, the severity of injury, residual physical deficits,
activities of daily living, and cognitive function using a stepwise
discriminant function analysis (DFA). Data sets for 79 persons with BI were
retrieved so as to identify predictors of their vocational outcomes upon
discharge and during a follow-up period. The stepwise DFA revealed that the
discharge score on the Disability Rating Scale (DRS), the attention-subtest of
the Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination (NCSE) or Cognistat, and
pre-morbid occupation were significant predictors that correctly classified
65.8% of the subjects
Keywords: Outcomes, return to work, prediction, rehabilitation, brain injury
