Disability Care and Support Inquiry
Productivity Commission
GPO Box 1428
Canberra City ACT 2601

7 April 2011

Dear Sirs

I write in relation to the reference made to our work1 in Chapter 15 (page 15.30) with respect to “impacts on recovery and health outcomes” in the current draft of the Disability Care and Support Scheme. I would like to make the Commission aware of correspondence in relation to this study. The correspondence2 contains some criticism of our work—in relation to the assumptions that we applied—to which we have replied3. Our reply has also sought to describe some of the limitations in extant studies on the effect of changes in compensation scheme design on health outcomes. I believe the discussion in these letters may be of interest.

Sincerely,

Natalie M Spearing

1.	Spearing NM, Connelly LB. Is compensation “bad for health”? A systematic meta-review. Injury 2011;42:15-24
2.	Re: Spearing and Connelly. Is compensation bad for health? A systematic meta-review: Injury 2011;42:15-24. Injury 2010 Dec 15. [Epub ahead of print].
3.	Spearing NM, Connelly LB. Response to Cassidy JD, et al. Injury 2011 Jan 14. [Epub ahead of print].