Positive experiences of a vocational rehabilitation intervention for individuals on long-term sick leave, the Dirigo project: a qualitative study

There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

Abstract

Background

The process of returning to work after long-term sick leave can sometimes be complex. Many factors, (e.g. cooperation between different authorities and the individual as well as individual factors such as health, emotional well-being and self-efficacy) may have an impact on an individual’s ability to work. The aim of this study was to investigate clients’ experiences with an individually tailored vocational rehabilitation, the Dirigo project, and encounters with professionals working on it. The Dirigo project was based on collaboration between rehabilitation authorities, individually tailored interventions and a motivational interviewing approach.

Methods

A descriptive qualitative design was used with data collected through interviews. Fourteen individuals on long-term sick leave took part in individual semi-structured interviews. The interviews were analysed using content analysis.

Results

The analysis showed overall positive experience of methods and encounters with professionals in a vocational rehabilitation project. The positive experiences were based on four key factors: 1. Opportunities for receiving various dimensions of support. 2. Good overall treatment by the professionals. 3. Satisfaction with the working methods of the project, and 4. Opportunities for personal development.

Conclusions

The main result showed that the clients had an overall positive experience of a vocational rehabilitation project and encounters with professionals who used motivational interviewing as a communication method. The overall positive experience indicated that their interactions with the different professionals may have affected their self-efficacy in general and in relation to transition to work. The knowledge is essential for the professionals working in the area of vocational rehabilitation. However, vocational rehabilitation interventions also need a societal approach to be able to offer clients opportunities for job training and real jobs.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-017-4804-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Related collections

Most cited references 37

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Meta-synthesis of qualitative research on return to work among employees with common mental disorders.

Martin Nielsen, Jorunn M. Andersen, Svend Brinkmann (2012)

The purpose of this study was to investigate which opportunities and obstacles employees with common mental disorders (CMD) experience in relation to return to work (RTW) and how they perceive the process of returning to work. In addition, the study explores what characterizes an optimal RTW intervention and points to possible ways to improve future interventions for employees with CMD. A systematic literature search was conducted, and eight qualitative studies of medium or high quality published between 1995-2011 were included in this systematic review. The eight studies were synthesized using the meta-ethnographic method. This meta-synthesis found that employees with CMD identify a number of obstacles to and facilitators of returning to work related to their own personality, social support at the workplace, and the social and rehabilitation systems. The employees found it difficult to decide when they were ready to resume work and experienced difficulties implementing RTW solutions at the workplace. This study reveals that the RTW process should be seen as a continuous and coherent one where experiences of the past and present and anticipation of the future are dynamically interrelated and affect the success or failure of RTW. The meta-synthesis also illuminates insufficient coordination between the social and rehabilitation systems and suggests how an optimal RTW intervention could be designed.

0 comments Cited 92 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Coordinated and tailored work rehabilitation: a randomized controlled trial with economic evaluation undertaken with workers on sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders.

Ute Bültmann, David L Sherson, Jens Olsen … (2009)

In Denmark, the magnitude and impact of work disability on the individual worker and society has prompted the development of a new "coordinated and tailored work rehabilitation" (CTWR) approach. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of CTWR with conventional case management (CCM) on return-to-work of workers on sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The study was a randomized controlled trial with economic evaluation undertaken with workers on sick leave for 4-12 weeks due to MSDs. CTWR consists of a work disability screening by an interdisciplinary team followed by the collaborative development of a RTW plan. The primary outcome variable was registered cumulative sickness absence hours during 12 months follow-up. Secondary outcomes were work status as well as pain intensity and functional disability, measured at baseline, 3 and 12 months follow-up. The economic evaluation (intervention costs, productivity loss, and health care utilization costs) was based on administrative data derived from national registries. For the time intervals 0-6 months, 6-12 months, and the entire follow-up period, the number of sickness absence hours was significantly lower in the CTWR group as compared to the control group. The total costs saved in CTWR participants compared to controls were estimated at US $ 1,366 per person at 6 months follow-up and US $ 10,666 per person at 12 months follow-up. Workers on sick leave for 4-12 weeks due to MSD who underwent "CTWR" by an interdisciplinary team had fewer sickness absence hours than controls. The economic evaluation showed that-in terms of productivity loss-CTWR seems to be cost saving for the society.

0 comments Cited 49 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: found

Is Open Access

Return to Work Coordination Programmes for Work Disability: A Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials

Stefan Schandelmaier, Shanil Ebrahim, Susan Burkhardt … (2012)

Background The dramatic rise in chronically ill patients on permanent disability benefits threatens the sustainability of social security in high-income countries. Social insurance organizations have started to invest in promising, but costly return to work (RTW) coordination programmes. The benefit, however, remains uncertain. We conducted a systematic review to determine the long-term effectiveness of RTW coordination compared to usual practice in patients at risk for long-term disability. Methods and Findings Eligible trials enrolled employees on work absence for at least 4 weeks and randomly assigned them to RTW coordination or to usual practice. We searched 5 databases (to April 2, 2012). Two investigators performed standardised eligibility assessment, study appraisal and data extraction independently and in duplicate. The GRADE framework guided our assessment of confidence in the meta-analytic estimates. We identified 9 trials from 7 countries, 8 focusing on musculoskeletal, and 1 on mental complaints. Most trials followed participants for 12 months or less. No trial assessed permanent disability. Moderate quality evidence suggests a benefit of RTW coordination on proportion at work at end of follow-up (risk ratio = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.03 to 1.13; absolute effect = 5 in 100 additional individuals returning to work, 95% CI = 2 to 8), overall function (mean difference [MD] on a 0 to 100 scale = 5.2, 95% CI = 2.4 to 8.0; minimal important difference [MID] = 10), physical function (MD = 5.3, 95% CI = 1.4 to 9.1; MID = 8.4), mental function (MD = 3.1, 95% CI = 0.7 to 5.6; MID = 7.3) and pain (MD = 6.1, 95% CI = 3.1 to 9.2; MID = 10). Conclusions Moderate quality evidence suggests that RTW coordination results in small relative, but likely important absolute benefits in the likelihood of disabled or sick-listed patients returning to work, and associated small improvements in function and pain. Future research should explore whether the limited effects persist, and whether the programmes are cost effective in the long term.

0 comments Cited 41 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

All references

Author and article information

Contributors

Åsa Andersén: +46 (0) 18-471 65 75 , asa.andersen@pubcare.uu.se

Christian Ståhl: christian.stahl@liu.se

Ingrid Anderzén: ingrid.anderzen@pubcare.uu.se

Per Kristiansson: per.kristiansson@pubcare.uu.se

Kjerstin Larsson: kjerstin.larsson@pubcare.uu.se

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): BMC Public Health

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): BMC Public Health

Title: BMC Public Health

Publisher: BioMed Central (London )

ISSN (Electronic): 1471-2458

Publication date (Electronic): 10 October 2017

Publication date PMC-release: 10 October 2017

Publication date Collection: 2017

Volume: 17

Electronic Location Identifier: 790

Affiliations

[1 ]ISNI 0000 0004 1936 9457, GRID grid.8993.b, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Sociomedical Epidemiological Section, , Uppsala University, ; Box 564, SE-751 22 Uppsala, Sweden

[2 ]ISNI 0000 0001 2162 9922, GRID grid.5640.7, National Centre for Work and Rehabilitation, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, , Linköping University, ; SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden

[3 ]ISNI 0000 0004 1936 9457, GRID grid.8993.b, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine Section, , Uppsala University, ; Box 564, SE-751 22 Uppsala, Sweden

Article

Publisher ID: 4804

DOI: 10.1186/s12889-017-4804-8

PMC ID: 5633870

PubMed ID: 29017504

SO-VID: fb555ac5-5ce9-4794-8998-fd643b21fdce

License:

Open AccessThis article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.

History

Date received : 1 December 2016

Date accepted : 27 September 2017

Funding

Funded by: Swedish Social Insurance Agency

Custom metadata

ScienceOpen disciplines: Public health

Keywords: sick leave,vocational rehabilitation,motivational interviewing,cooperation,return-to-work,qualitative study

Data availability:

ScienceOpen disciplines: Public health

Keywords: sick leave, vocational rehabilitation, motivational interviewing, cooperation, return-to-work, qualitative study

Positive experiences of a vocational rehabilitation intervention for individuals on long-term sick leave, the Dirigo project: a qualitative study

Read this article at

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Electronic supplementary material

Related collections

Chinese Journal of School Health

Most cited references 37

Meta-synthesis of qualitative research on return to work among employees with common mental disorders.

Coordinated and tailored work rehabilitation: a randomized controlled trial with economic evaluation undertaken with workers on sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders.

Return to Work Coordination Programmes for Work Disability: A Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials

Author and article information

Contributors

Journal

Affiliations

Article

History

Funding

Categories

Custom metadata

Comments

Comment on this article

Similar content 146

Cited by 5

Most referenced authors 307