New Rehabilitation Study Results Reported from University of Rhode Island (Benefit Duration and Return to Work Outcomes in Short Term Disability Insurance Programs: Evidence from Temporary Disability Insurance Program)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Education Letter -- New research on Rehabilitation is the subject of a report. According to news reporting from Kingston, Rhode Island, by VerticalNews journalists, research stated, "The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act strengthens the vocational rehabilitation program's focus on providing early intervention services to keep workers with disabilities in the workforce. At the same time, some have suggested that short-term disability insurance (STDI) programs may hold promise as an early intervention service, helping people with disabilities stay in the labor force and avoid needing longer-term benefits."

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from the University of Rhode Island, "Rhode Island is one of five states with a mandatory STDI program. We examine the extent to which Rhode Island STDI claimant characteristics are correlated with partial return-to-work (PRTW) benefit receipt and certain STDI benefit receipt duration measures.Methods Our study used administrative data from 2011 to 2014 to explore Rhode Island's STDI programcalled the Temporary Disability Insurance programand regression analysis to estimate the correlations of interest. Regression adjusted estimates revealed that claimants opting to receive PRTW benefits earned more and received benefits for fewer weeks than claimants opting to not receive PRTW benefits. We also observed significant correlations between duration of benefit receipt and claimant characteristics such as diagnosis and treating healthcare provider specialty."

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: "Findings suggest that STDI claimants with certain characteristics are more likely to receive benefits for a long duration or not receive PRTW benefits, signaling that they might benefit from early Vocational Rehabilitation supports and services that would allow them to remain productive members of the workforce and avoid long term benefit receipt."

For more information on this research see: Benefit Duration and Return to Work Outcomes in Short Term Disability Insurance Programs: Evidence from Temporary Disability Insurance Program. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 2018;28(4):597-609. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation can be contacted at: Springer, Plenum Publishers, 233 Spring St, New York, NY 10013, USA. (Springer - www.springer.com; Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation - www.springerlink.com/content/1053-0487/)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting A.M. Bourbonniere, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, United States.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-018-9779-5. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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