The Predictive Validity of the Return-to-Work Self-Efficacy Scale for Return-to-Work Outcomes in Claimants with Musculoskeletal Disorders

The Author(s) 2015. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Abstract Purpose To examine the predictive validity of the Return-to-Work Self-Efficacy (RTWSE) Scale in terms of the scale’s baseline absolute values and of changes in self-efficacy scores, with the outcome of return-to-work (RTW) status in a sample of injured workers with upper extremity and back musculoskeletal disorders. Methods RTWSE was measured with a 10-item scale assessing Overall RTWSE and three self-efficacy subdomains: (1) ability to cope with pain, (2) ability to obtain help from supervisor and (3) ability to obtain help from co-workers. Outcome measures included RTW status (yes/no) mea-sured at 6- and 12-month follow-up. RTWSE improvement was defined as an increase in self-efficacy scores between baseline and 6-month follow-up time points. Logistic re-gression analyses were performed with RTW status as the dependent variable and adjusted for age, gender, educa-tional level, personal income, pain site, pain severity, functional status, and depressive symptoms, and for base-line RTWSE scores in the improvement score analyses. Results A total of 632 claimants completed the baseline telephone interview 1 month post-injury; 446 subjects completed the 6-month interview (71 %) and 383 subjects completed the 12-month interview (61 %). The baseline Pain RTWSE scores were found to be useful to predict RTW status 6 months post-injury, with a trend for baseline Overall RTWSE. Improvements over time in Overall RTWSE and in Co-worker RTWSE were found to be useful to predict 12-month RTW status, with trends for improvements in Supervisor RTWSE and Pain RTWSE. Conclusion The study found evidence supporting the pre-dictive validity of the RTWSE scale within 12 months after injury. The RTWSE scale may be a potentially valuable scale in research and in managing work disabled claimants with musculoskeletal disorders