Research Projects

Doctoral trainees and post-doctoral fellows will have the opportunity to become involved in a wide range of occupational health services research projects. In general, two types of research projects will be available to program trainees:

• Research concerning occupational health care delivered through the workers’ compensation system
• Field-based studies on health and safety topics

The research mission of the Occupational Epidemiology and Health Outcomes Program focuses on questions pertaining to the delivery of occupational health services, health outcomes, and disability prevention.

Recent studies conducted by researchers affiliated with the Occupational Epidemiology and Health Outcomes Program include:

• Franklin GM, Mai J, Wickizer T, Turner JA, et al. "Opioid dosing trends and mortality in Washington State workers' compensation, 1996-2002." American Journal of Industrial Medicine 2005 Aug;48(2):91-9.
• Turner JA, Franklin G, Heagerty PJ, Wu R, Egan K, Fulton-Kehoe D, Gluck JV, Wickizer TM. "The association between pain and disability." Pain 2004 Dec;112(3):307-14.
• Wickizer TM, Franklin GM, Mootz RD, et al. "A communitywide intervention to improve outcomes and reduce disability among injured workers in Washington State." Milbank Quarterly 2004;82(3):547-67.
• Wickizer TM, Franklin G, et al. "Patient satisfaction, treatment experience, and disability outcomes in a population-based cohort of injured workers in Washington State: implications for quality improvement." Health Services Research 2004 Aug;39(4 Pt 1):727-48.
• Neitzel R, Seixas N, Goldman B, Daniell W. "Contributions of non-occupational activities to total noise exposure of construction workers." The Annals of Occupational Hygiene 2004 Jul;48(5):463-73.
• Winnemuller LL, Spielholz PO, Daniell WE, Kaufman JD. "Comparison of ergonomist, supervisor, and worker assessments of work-related musculoskeletal risk factors." Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene 2004 Jun;1(6):414-22.
• Turner JA, Franklin G, Fulton-Kehoe D, Egan K, Wickizer TM, Lymp JF, Sheppard L, Kaufman JD. "Prediction of chronic disability in work-related musculoskeletal disorders: a prospective, population-based study." BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2004 May 24;5(1):14.
• Robinson JP, Fulton-Kehoe D, Franklin GM, Wu R. "Multidisciplinary pain center outcomes in Washington State Workers' Compensation." Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2004 May;46(5):473-8.
• Wickizer TM, Franklin G, Gluck JV, Fulton-Kehoe D. "Improving quality through identifying inappropriate care: the use of guideline-based utilization review protocols in the Washington State Workers' Compensation System." Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2004 Mar;46(3):198-204.
• Wickizer TM, Franklin G, Turner J, et al. "Use of attorneys and appeal filing in the Washington State workers' compensation program: does patient satisfaction matter?" Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2004 Apr;46(4):331-9.
• Wickizer TM, Kopjar B, Franklin G, Joesch J. "Do drug-free workplace programs prevent occupational injuries? Evidence from Washington State." Health Services Research 2004 Feb;39(1):91-110.
• Turner JA, Fulton-Kehoe D, Franklin G, Wickizer TM, Wu R. "Comparison of the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire and generic health status measures: a population-based study of workers' compensation back injury claimants." Spine 2003 May 15;28(10):1061-7.
• Daniell WE, Stover BD, Takaro TK. "Comparison of criteria for significant threshold shift in workplace hearing conservation programs." Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2003 Mar;45(3):295-304.
• Kyes KB, Wickizer TM, Franklin G. "Employer satisfaction with workers' compensation health care: results of the Washington State Workers' Compensation Managed Care Pilot." Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2003 Mar;45(3):234-40.
• Daniell WE, Fulton-Kehoe D, Cohen M, Swan SS, Franklin GM. "Increased reporting of occupational hearing loss: workers' compensation in Washington State, 1984-1998." American Journal of Industrial Medicine 2002 Dec;42(6):502-10.
• Daniell WE, Swan SS, McDaniel MM, Stebbins JG, Seixas NS, Morgan MS. "Noise exposure and hearing conservation practices in an industry with high incidence of workers' compensation claims for hearing loss." American Journal of Industrial Medicine 2002 Oct;42(4):309-17.
• Swan S, Daniell W. "Hearing conservation in industry." Occupational Health and Safety 2002 Jun;71(6):78-80.
• Rudolph L, Dervin K, Cheadle A, Maizlish N, Wickizer T. "What do injured workers think about their medical care and outcomes after work injury?" Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2002 May;44(5):425-34.
• Battie MC, Fulton-Kehoe D, Franklin G. "The effects of a medical care utilization review program on back and neck injury claims." Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2002 Apr;44(4):365-71.
• Wickizer TM, Franklin G, Plaeger-Brockway R, et al. "Improving the quality of occupational health care in Washington State: new approaches to designing community-based health care systems." Journal of Ambulatory Care Management 2002 Apr;25(2):43-52.
• Keyes KB, Wickizer TM, Franklin G. "Two-year health and employment outcomes among injured workers enrolled in the Washington State Managed Care Pilot Project." American Journal of Industrial Medicine 2001 Dec;40(6):619-26.
• Robinson JP, Fulton-Kehoe D, Martin DC, Franklin GM. "Outcomes of pain center treatment in Washington State workers' compensation." American Journal of Industrial Medicine 2001 Feb;39(2):227-36.
• Wickizer TM, Franklin G, Plaeger-Brockway R, et al. "Improving the Quality of Workers’ Compensation Health Care Delivery: The Washington State Occupational Health Services Project," Milbank Quarterly 2001;79(1):5-33.
• Kyes K, Wickizer TM, Franklin G, et al. "Evaluation of the Washington State Workers’ Compensation Managed Care Pilot I: Medical Outcomes and Patient Satisfaction," Medical Care 1999;37:972-981.
• Cheadle A, Wickizer TM, Franklin G, et al. "Evaluation of the Washington State Workers’ Compensation Managed Care Pilot I: Medical and Disability Costs," Medical Care 1999;37:982-993.
• Wickizer TM, Lessler D, Franklin G. "Controlling Workers’ Compensation Medical Care Use and Cost through Utilization Management," Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1999;41:625-631.
• Fulton-Kehoe D, Franklin G, Weaver M, et al. "Years of Productivity Lost among Injured Workers in Washington State: Modeling Disability Burden in Workers’ Compensation," American Journal of Industrial Medicine 2000;37:656-662.
• Alexander B, Franklin G, Fulton-Kehoe D. "Comparison of Fatal and Severe Nonfatal Traumatic Work-Related Injuries in Washington State," American Journal of Industrial Medicine 1999;36:317-325.
• Elam K, Taylor V, Ciol M, et al. "Impact of a Workers’ Compensation Practice Guideline on Lumbar Spine Fusion in Washington State," Medical Care 1997;35:417-424.
• Franklin G, Fulton-Kehoe D. "Outcomes Research in Washington State Workers’ Compensation," American Journal of Industrial Medicine 1996;29:642-648.
• Cheadle A, Franklin G, Wolfhagen C, et al. "Factors Influencing Duration of Work-Related Disability: A Population-Based Study from Washington State," American Journal of Public Health 1994:84:190-196.
• Franklin G, Haug J, Heyer N, et al. "Outcome of Lumbar Fusion in Washington State Workers’ Compensation," Spine 1994;19:1987-1904.