Back pain: Lost productivity, associated costs and a solution

Abstract

Purpose: To measure to what degree, back, neck and extremity pain impact productivity among knowledge-based workers and to learn if an On-Site treatment program could reduce such losses. Theoretical Foundation: Presenteeism, the phenomenon when an employee is at work but not working to their full capacity, costs organizations financial losses each year. This study seeks to find a correlation between back, neck and extremity pain and presenteeism, by measuring productivity losses of employees suffering with chronic pain but still going to work each day. Methods: A randomized, controlled, trial (RCT) designed to measure the impact that neck, back and extremity pain have on employee productivity. Phase 1, (N = 260) were employees with recent or chronic pain complaints screened in the On-Site clinics of each organization. Phase 2 divided into two groups; a Study group (N = 86) who received treatments and the Control group (N = 87) who did not receive treatments, during a 16-18-week period. The instrument used was; the Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ), to calculate lost productivity averages per person per year, converted into costs based on the average wage method (Portugal, 2018). Findings: Phase 1 of the WLQ revealed an average Lost Productivity Score of 10.5% with an associated cost of €1,478.25 per year. The Phase 2 Study group WLQ score dropped from 10.5% to 1.86% at a saving of €1,197.71 per person per year. The Control group average WLQ score was 11.2% and rose to 12.06%, or a loss of €118.13 per person per year. Several statistically significant (p< .001) correlations were revealed between the WLQ lost productivity score and clinical findings using linear regressions as well as a 2-tailed Pearson Correlation evaluation. Limitations: The study was unblinded. The WLQ is dependent on subjective findings of how a person remembers to what degree their physical condition impacted their work performance over the past two weeks. Such recall can be influenced by the emotional state of subjects. Implications: Neck, back and extremity pain do indeed cost organizations a great deal in productivity losses and associated costs. An On-Site treatment strategy demonstrated cost savings which could be mutually beneficial for private and public sectors and a decreased burden on the health care systems.