Grimmer Somers, K.A.Milanese, S.F.Brennan, C.Mifsud, I.2025-12-172025-12-172010Asia-Pacific Journal of Risk and Insurance, 2010; 5(1):1-151793-21572153-3792https://hdl.handle.net/1959.8/118379Objectives: Little is known about who uses physiotherapy services for whiplash injuries sustained in motor-vehicle accidents. Compensable agencies around Australia are grappling with ways to identify early claimants who are likely to consume different types of health services. The objectives were to identify key characteristics of a typical user of physiotherapy services for motor-vehicle accident-induced whiplash-associated disorders.Method: A dataset was provided by the Motor Accident Commission (MAC) in South Australia which included demographic, socioeconomic and accident information on WAD claimants from 2006-2009. Univariate and multiple logistic regression models were developed to test the association between physiotherapy service use, claimant demographics, socioeconomic status, and accident descriptors.Results: A typical consumer of physiotherapy services for WAD was female, aged between 40 and 79 years, living in upper middle or high socioeconomic suburbs, with legal representation, and who has been assigned at least three MAC injury codes (denoting severe injury). She was the driver of the car. She was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident, and the accident occurred on hard dry road surfaces. Her accident was unlikely to be angular.Conclusion: A clear profile of a WAD claimant who would consume physiotherapy services was established.enCopyright 2011 Asia-Pacific Risk and Insurance Associationmotor-vehicle accidentphysiotherapywhiplashJournal article10.2202/2153-3792.1081