Manage Your Performance and Costs
WCB for health care providers > Medical advisory guidelines > Alberta disability duration guidelines > Factors influencing duration of disability

Alberta disability duration guidelines - Factors influencing duration of disability

A.  GENERAL FACTORS

Some important factors that may influence duration of disability include:

Psychological Factors

  • motivation to return to work
  • attitude of employer towards employee
  • availability of co-worker to help out
  • pre-existing psychological condition(s)
  • prior experience with injury/illness

Age

  • age may contribute to the course/progress of recovery /healing

Complications

  • medical complications resulting from the primary condition and/or subsequent therapeutic procedures

Medication

  • medications can restrict the type of work an individual can safely perform

Individual variation

There may be different durations of disability among workers with the same injury/illness or undergoing the same procedure because of:

  • severity of the condition
  • individual response to treatment
  • the course of recovery
  • late diagnosis
  • whether treatment is medical or surgical
  • presence of pre-existing or incidental condition(s)

B.  FRACTURES

Factors that may influence duration of disability:

  • age
  • the specific fracture
  • the stability of the fracture
  • direction and degree of displacement
  • degree of comminution
  • extent of articular damage
  • severity of associated soft tissue injury (nerves, blood vessels, tendons and ligaments)
  • promptness, method and adequacy of treatment
  • duration of immobilization
  • presence of complications
  • surgical treatment
  • life style/occupational requirements
  • pre-existing or incidental condition(s) e.g. osteoporosis

C.  DISLOCATIONS

Factor that may influence duration of disability:

  • which joint is involved
  • direction and degree of displacement
  • severity of associated damage to ligaments, tendons, or articular surfaces
  • neurovascular damage
  • type and promptness of treatment
  • life style/occupational requirements
  • pre-existing or incidental condition(s)

D. SPRAINS AND STRAINS

Factor that may influence duration of disability:

  • severity of the injury
  • location
  • need for surgical repair
  • timing of surgical repair
  • promptness of treatment
  • life style/occupational requirements
  • pre-existing or incidental condition(s)

E. AMPUTATIONS

Factors that may influence duration of disability:

  • an underlying disease process
  • the particular limb or digit amputated
  • whether dominant or non-dominant hand/arm is involved
  • complications
  • life style/occupational requirements
  • pre-existing or incidental condition(s)

F. PROCEDURES

Factors that may influence duration of disability:

  • the condition for which the procedure is done
  • whether dominant or non-dominant hand/arm is involved
  • complications
  • joint involved
  • lifestyle/occupational requirements
  • pre-existing or incidental condition(s)

[ back to top ]