Objective: The aim of the study is to describe cost and frequency of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in Kansas.
Methods: Data were provided by the Kansas Department of Labor and included all closed workers' compensation claims entailing indemnity and medical costs from 2014 to 2022.
Results: Work-related musculoskeletal disorder claims entailed a median total cost of $20,097. Medical comprised 48.4% of costs, indemnity 46.4%, and legal 5.2%. The most frequently injured and costliest body part was the shoulder. Manufacturing comprised 28.4% of claims, followed by health care and office. Lifting was the most common cause, generating 32.0% of claims. Education, transportation, and mining were among industries with above average claim rates.
Conclusions: Very few studies use workers' compensation data to assess work-related musculoskeletal disorder costs. This study introduces a state not yet analyzed and presents more recent years of data than available in the literature.
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