Table 5.
Study messages based on levels of evidence
| Outcome | Levels of evidence | Number of High [H] and Medium [M] quality studies | Message |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key messages for non-White or racial/ethnic minority groups ‡ | |||
| Returning to paid employment following a non-occupational injury or illness* | Strong | 3 H, 7 M | Non-White or ethnic minority workers are less likely to report RTW following a non-occupational injury or illness and will benefit from specific policy and programmatic attention |
| Enrollment in RTW programming or employment services | Limited | 1 H | |
| Receipt of social security or disability benefits following occupational injury or illness | Mixed | 2 H | Not enough evidence from the scientific literature due to mixed findings comparing non-White or ethnic minority workers and receipt of social security or disability benefits |
| Claim duration following occupational injury or illness | Insufficient | 1 H, 1 M | Not enough evidence from the scientific literature |
| Total workers’ compensation claim ($) following occupational injury or illness | 1 H | ||
| Financial struggle following occupational illness | 1 H | ||
| Total missed workdays following non-occupational injury or illness | 1 H | ||
| RTW following occupational injury or illness | 1 M | ||
| Starting and completing trial work periods following non-occupational injury or illness | 1 M | ||
| Total work hours following non-occupational injury or illness | 1 M | ||
| Key messages for specific racial and ethnic minority groups † | |||
| Returning to paid employment following a non-occupational injury or illness* | Moderate | Black workers; 2 H, 3 M | Black workers may face obstacles to returning to work following non-occupational injury or illness and could benefit from policy and programmatic attention |
| Returning to paid employment following a non-occupational injury or illness* | Limited | Latinx workers; 1 H, 1 M | |
Notes: ‡ = non-White included any persons of color or ethnic minority workers; * = Returning to paid employment following a non-occupational injury or illness includes a combination of return-to-work and employment status outcomes; RTW = return-to-work; H = high quality study, M = medium quality study; † = specific racial and ethnic subgroup analysis for findings with strong levels of evidence