Comparing Two Interdisciplinary Occupational Rehabilitation Programs for Employees on Sick Leave: a Mixed-method Design Study Protocol

Overview

Journal BMC Musculoskelet Disord

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties Orthopedics
Physiology

Date 2021 Feb 10

PMID 33563250

Citations 6

Authors

Monica Eftedal

Torill H Tveito

Ulrik Gensby

M Kamrul Islam

Stein Atle Lie

Gro Aasland

Svein Kostveit

Chris Jensen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and common mental disorders (CMDs) are the most frequent reasons for long-term sick leave and work disability. Occupational rehabilitation programs are used to help employees return to work (RTW). However, knowledge regarding the effect of these programs is scarce, and even less is known about which programs are best suited for which patients. This study aims to compare the RTW results of two interdisciplinary occupational rehabilitation programs in Norway, as well as to examine the delivery and reception of the two programs and explore the active mechanisms of the participants' RTW processes.

Methods/design: We will use a mixed-method convergent design to study the main outcome. Approximately 600 participants will be included in the study. Eligible study participants will be aged 18-60 years old and have been on sick leave due to MSDs, CMDs, or both for at least 6 weeks. Interdisciplinary teams at both participating clinics will deliver complex occupational rehabilitation programs. The inpatient rehabilitation program has a duration of 4 weeks and is full time. The outpatient program has a duration of 3 months and involves weekly sessions. The primary outcome is RTW. Secondary outcomes are differences in the incremental cost for an averted sick leave day, cost utility/benefit, and differences between the programs regarding improvements in known modifiable obstacles to RTW. Subgroup analyses are planned. The researchers will be blinded to the intervention groups when analyzing the quantitative RTW data.

Discussion: This study aims to provide new insights regarding occupational rehabilitation interventions, treatment targets, and outcomes for different subgroups of sick-listed employees and to inform discussions on the active working mechanisms of occupational rehabilitation and the influence of context in the return-to-work process.

Trial Registration: Current controlled trials ISRCTN12033424 , 15.10.2014, retrospectively registered.

Citing Articles

Adverse childhood experiences, subsequent negative life events, and their impact on health in occupational rehabilitation patients: a mixed-methods study.

Eftedal M, Johansen T, Del Risco Kollerud R Front Rehabil Sci. 2024; 5:1389337.

PMID: 39606585 PMC: 11599175. DOI: 10.3389/fresc.2024.1389337.

Virtual Reality Gaming in Occupational Rehabilitation - User Experiences and Perceptions.

Linge A, Oyeflaten I, Johansen T, Helle T, Jensen C, Hole A J Multidiscip Healthc. 2024; 17:5139-5149.

PMID: 39558923 PMC: 11571987. DOI: 10.2147/JMDH.S478052.

Work Ability in the Year after Rehabilitation-Results from the RehabNytte Cohort.

Skinnes M, Moe R, Johansen T, Lyby P, Dahl K, Eid I J Clin Med. 2023; 12(23).

PMID: 38068445 PMC: 10707470. DOI: 10.3390/jcm12237391.

Changes in memory and attention during and after occupational rehabilitation: A longitudinal study.

Johansen T, Oyeflaten I, Eriksen H, Lyby P, Dittrich W, Holsen I Work. 2023; 77(3):949-961.

PMID: 37781841 PMC: 10977365. DOI: 10.3233/WOR-230027.

Managing disabled workers due to occupational accidents in Indonesia: a case study on return to work program.

Kurnianto A, Khatatbeh H, Premusz V, Nemeskeri Z, Agoston I BMC Public Health. 2023; 23(1):943.

PMID: 37226117 PMC: 10206580. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15930-2.

References

Pocock S, Assmann S, Enos L, Kasten L . Subgroup analysis, covariate adjustment and baseline comparisons in clinical trial reporting: current practice and problems. Stat Med. 2002; 21(19):2917-30. DOI: 10.1002/sim.1296. View

Kamper S, Apeldoorn A, Chiarotto A, Smeets R, Ostelo R, Guzman J . Multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation for chronic low back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014; (9):CD000963. PMC: 10945502. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000963.pub3. View

Hoefsmit N, Houkes I, Nijhuis F . Intervention characteristics that facilitate return to work after sickness absence: a systematic literature review. J Occup Rehabil. 2012; 22(4):462-77. PMC: 3484272. DOI: 10.1007/s10926-012-9359-z. View

Bethge M, Spanier K, Peters E, Michel E, Radoschewski M . Self-Reported Work Ability Predicts Rehabilitation Measures, Disability Pensions, Other Welfare Benefits, and Work Participation: Longitudinal Findings from a Sample of German Employees. J Occup Rehabil. 2017; 28(3):495-503. DOI: 10.1007/s10926-017-9733-y. View

White M, Wagner S, Schultz I, Murray E, Bradley S, Hsu V . Non-modifiable worker and workplace risk factors contributing to workplace absence: A stakeholder-centred synthesis of systematic reviews. Work. 2015; 52(2):353-73. DOI: 10.3233/WOR-152134. View

Hara K, Bjorngaard J, Jacobsen H, Borchgrevink P, Johnsen R, Stiles T . Biopsychosocial predictors and trajectories of work participation after transdiagnostic occupational rehabilitation of participants with mental and somatic disorders: a cohort study. BMC Public Health. 2018; 18(1):1014. PMC: 6094579. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-018-5803-0. View

Stapelfeldt C, Christiansen D, Jensen O, Nielsen C, Petersen K, Jensen C . Subgroup analyses on return to work in sick-listed employees with low back pain in a randomised trial comparing brief and multidisciplinary intervention. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2011; 12:112. PMC: 3121658. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2474-12-112. View

Lagerveld S, Bultmann U, Franche R, van Dijk F, Vlasveld M, van der Feltz-Cornelis C . Factors associated with work participation and work functioning in depressed workers: a systematic review. J Occup Rehabil. 2010; 20(3):275-92. PMC: 2923705. DOI: 10.1007/s10926-009-9224-x. View

Brazier J, Roberts J . The estimation of a preference-based measure of health from the SF-12. Med Care. 2004; 42(9):851-9. DOI: 10.1097/01.mlr.0000135827.18610.0d. View

10.

Black O, Keegel T, Sim M, Collie A, Smith P . The Effect of Self-Efficacy on Return-to-Work Outcomes for Workers with Psychological or Upper-Body Musculoskeletal Injuries: A Review of the Literature. J Occup Rehabil. 2017; 28(1):16-27. DOI: 10.1007/s10926-017-9697-y. View

11.

Oyeflaten I, Hysing M, Eriksen H . Prognostic factors associated with return to work following multidisciplinary vocational rehabilitation. J Rehabil Med. 2008; 40(7):548-54. DOI: 10.2340/16501977-0202. View

12.

. Declaration of Helsinki. Ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. J Indian Med Assoc. 2009; 107(6):403-5. View

13.

Wade D . What is rehabilitation? An empirical investigation leading to an evidence-based description. Clin Rehabil. 2020; 34(5):571-583. PMC: 7350200. DOI: 10.1177/0269215520905112. View

14.

Wagner S, White M, Schultz I, Murray E, Bradley S, Hsu V . Modifiable worker risk factors contributing to workplace absence: a stakeholder-centred best-evidence synthesis of systematic reviews. Work. 2013; 49(4):541-58. DOI: 10.3233/WOR-131709. View

15.

Lie S, Eriksen H, Ursin H, Hagen E . A multi-state model for sick-leave data applied to a randomized control trial study of low back pain. Scand J Public Health. 2008; 36(3):279-83. DOI: 10.1177/1403494807086979. View

16.

Shaw W, Reme S, Linton S, Huang Y, Pransky G . 3rd place, PREMUS best paper competition: development of the return-to-work self-efficacy (RTWSE-19) questionnaire--psychometric properties and predictive validity. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2011; 37(2):109-19. DOI: 10.5271/sjweh.3139. View

17.

Ware Jr J, Kosinski M, Keller S . A 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey: construction of scales and preliminary tests of reliability and validity. Med Care. 1996; 34(3):220-33. DOI: 10.1097/00005650-199603000-00003. View

18.

Cancelliere C, Donovan J, Stochkendahl M, Biscardi M, Ammendolia C, Myburgh C . Factors affecting return to work after injury or illness: best evidence synthesis of systematic reviews. Chiropr Man Therap. 2016; 24(1):32. PMC: 5015229. DOI: 10.1186/s12998-016-0113-z. View

19.

Aasdahl L, Pape K, Vasseljen O, Johnsen R, Gismervik S, Halsteinli V . Effect of Inpatient Multicomponent Occupational Rehabilitation Versus Less Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation on Sickness Absence in Persons with Musculoskeletal- or Mental Health Disorders: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Occup Rehabil. 2017; 28(1):170-179. PMC: 5820389. DOI: 10.1007/s10926-017-9708-z. View

20.

Zwarenstein M, Treweek S . What kind of randomised trials do patients and clinicians need?. Evid Based Med. 2009; 14(4):101-3. DOI: 10.1136/ebm.14.4.101. View