Book Review: AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Work Ability and Return to Work, Second Edition

2011 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 12-12
Author(s):  
James Talmage ◽  
J. Mark Melhorn ◽  
Mark H. Hyman
Keyword(s):  
Return To Work ◽  
Work Ability

scholarly journals Manager perspectives on workers’ return to work after cancer treatment

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Torp ◽  
Å Valle-Olsen ◽  
B Brusletto
Keyword(s):  
Return To Work ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Cancer Survivor ◽  
Work Ability ◽  
Working Life ◽  
Good Care ◽  
Need Support ◽  
After Cancer ◽  
Depth Interviews

Abstract Background Due to improved cancer treatment, the survival rate of cancer is increasing Unfortunately, many cancer survivors suffer from serious late effects because of this treatment. Therefore, more and more cancer survivors with reduced work ability are, and will in the future be, in work. To include this group of workers in working life is a challenge for the society in general and for the enterprises in particular. The aim of this study was to investigate managers’ experiences regarding cancer survivors’ return to work (RTW). Methods We performed qualitative individual in-depth interviews with nine managers who had experience with workers who needed adaptations at work after cancer treatment. The interviews were transcribed in verbatim and thematically analyzed in accordance with guidelines for stepwise deductive-inductive analysis (Tjora, 2016). Results All managers emphasized the importance of taking good care of workers with serious diseases and to adapt work according to their work ability. The managers tried to follow the Work Environment Act and guidelines given by the Norwegian Labor and Welfare Administration but they experienced that the guidelines did not fit well with the needs of the cancer survivor and/or the enterprise. A good RTW process was dependent on an open dialog that was initiated early in the RTW trajectory to establish a sense of safe situation for both the cancer survivor and the company. A good RTW process could only be established if the colleagues of the survivor gave their support to both the survivor and the manager. In addition, it was of great importance that the needs of the cancer survivor had to be balanced by the production needs of the enterprise. Conclusions Managers need support from health personnel and social security agencies to support cancer survivors to retain work. Key messages Cancer survivors need adaptations at work. Managers are crucial in securing a successful vocational rehabilitation of cancer survivors.

Return-to-work issues in outpatient palliative care.

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (31_suppl) ◽  
pp. 35-35
Author(s):  
Paul A. Glare ◽  
Tanya Nikolova ◽  
Alberta Alickaj ◽  
Victoria Susana Blinder ◽  
Sujata Patil
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Return To Work ◽  
Work Ability ◽  
Definitive Treatment ◽  
Comprehensive Cancer Center ◽  
Work Place ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Active Disease

35 Background: Early integration of palliative care (PC) with oncologic care means return to work (RTW) issues will apply to some patients. There is an extensive literature on RTW after completing definitive treatment but much less is known about RTW in patients with active disease and on treatment. Methods: Cross-sectional survey of patients in two Pain & Palliative Care (PC) clinics at a comprehensive cancer center. Respondents were aged 25-65 and had been in paid employment prior to or during their treatment. The survey consisted of 37 items covering three domains: clinical details and demographics; work status, occupation, and work ability; importance of work and factors interfering with work. Results: 105 surveys were completed. 54% respondents were females, median age 53. 79% had been working at the time diagnosis. The commonest primaries were breast, colorectal, lung, GYN, and melanoma/sarcoma. 80% reported having active disease, median 2 years since diagnosis, and 73% were currently on treatment. In patients with active disease (n=86), 47% were currently working, 63% of them full time, typically RTW after taking < 6 months off. Work was important to 80% them, making 83% "feel normal", and 58% feel like they are “beating the cancer”. 35% would have liked to work more hours. Fatigue interfered with work in 49%, pain in 38%, and side effects of pain medicines in 31%. Almost ¼ were anxious or depressed about their work situation. More than 20% experienced discrimination in the work place, although usually minor. Conclusions: It is not uncommon for patients with advanced cancer to RTW even when they are on treatment and are sick enough to need to be followed in a PC clinic. Work is important to them and many would like to work more. Symptoms and side effects may interfere with their work ability. Some may be experiencing discrimination in the work place. Interventions to overcome these problems should be part of comprehensive, interdisciplinary PC.

scholarly journals Do work ability and well-being matter for return to work? Cut-off points for the Work Ability Index and Life Satisfaction Questionnaire among women with long-term musculoskeletal pain

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mamunur Rashid ◽  
Marina Heiden ◽  
Annika Nilsson ◽  
Marja-leena Kristofferzon
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Back Pain ◽  
Return To Work ◽  
Work Ability ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Work Ability Index ◽  
Satisfaction Questionnaire ◽  
Ability Index

Abstract Background To determine whether work ability and well-being predict return to work (RTW) among women with long-term neck/shoulder and/or back pain at 1-year follow-up, and to assess the ability of the Work Ability Index (WAI) and Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (LiSat-11) to discriminate between those who did RTW and those who did not RTW (NRTW). Methods A survey was sent to 600 women receiving sick leave (SL) benefits from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency. In total, 208 women responded at baseline, and 141 at a 1-year follow-up. To identify whether work ability and well-being predicted RTW, multiple logistic regression analyses were performed with and without adjustment for type of work and pain intensity. To assess the discriminative ability of the WAI and LiSat-11 for women who did RTW and those who did NRTW, receiver operating characteristic curves were fitted. Results Work ability predicted RTW, and the results remained significant after adjusting for type of work and pain intensity (OR 1.12, 95% CI: 1.04–1.22). Well-being was not significant. The WAI at baseline adequately discriminated between RTW and NRTW after one year (AUC 0.78, 95% CI: 0.70–0.86), but the LiSat-11 did not. Conclusions Our results indicate that work ability is an important factor for RTW among women on SL for long-term neck/shoulder and/or back pain. The findings also indicate that the WAI, but not the LiSat-11, is able to discriminate between RTW and NRTW in the population under study. The WAI may be used to identify women at risk of NRTW.

scholarly journals Prognostic value of self-reported work ability and performance-based lifting tests for sustainable return to work among construction workers

2012 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 600-603 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Paul FM Kuijer ◽  
Vincent Gouttebarge ◽  
Haije Wind ◽  
Cor van Duivenbooden ◽  
Judith K Sluiter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Return To Work ◽  
Work Ability ◽  
Prognostic Value ◽  
Construction Workers ◽  
And Performance

scholarly journals Functional Capacity Evaluation for Work-Related Injuries to the Foot and Ankle is Associated with Low Return to Work Rate

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 2473011419S0022
Author(s):  
Alexander J. Idarraga ◽  
Adam Wright-Chisem ◽  
Daniel D. Bohl ◽  
Simon Lee ◽  
Johnny Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Return To Work ◽  
Functional Capacity ◽  
Work Ability ◽  
Functional Capacity Evaluation ◽  
Foot And Ankle ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Work Related Injury ◽  
Capacity Evaluation ◽  
Light Medium

Category: Hindfoot, Ankle, Midfoot/Forefoot, Injury and Rehabilitation Introduction/Purpose: The functional capacity evaluation (FCE) is used to determine a worker’s physical ability after treatment of a work-related injury. This evaluation is a critical determinant in the administration of benefits and the decision to return to work (RTW). The purpose of this study is to characterize FCE results and ability to RTW among patients treated for work- related orthopaedic injuries to the foot or ankle. Methods: A retrospective medical record review from the practices of four orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeons was conducted. Inclusion criteria were (1) treatment of a work-related injury to the foot or ankle, (2) at least 2 years of follow-up from the injury, and (3) documentation of an associated FCE. The FCE report and clinic notes were used to determine the patient’s pre-injury job requirement (Department of Labor Office category: light, medium, or heavy), post-injury FCE-determined work ability (light, medium, or heavy), specific FCE- or physician-imposed work restrictions, and clearance for RTW. Patients were considered cleared to RTW if their FCE-determined work ability met or exceeded their pre-injury job requirement and if there were no additional restrictions imposed by the FCE or physician that would prevent them from functioning in their pre-injury role. Results: A total of 188 patients met inclusion criteria. Missteps/rotational injuries (44.1%), falls from height (22.3%), and crush injuries (20.7%) were the most common mechanisms. 74.4% of patients had FCE-determined work abilities at or above their pre- injury job requirements, and 63.3% of patients were eventually cleared for RTW. The median time from injury to clearance for RTW was 2.0 ± 1.3 years. Reasons for not being cleared to RTW included failure to meet the pre-injury job requirement (67.2%), specific FCE-imposed limitations (28.3%), or specific physician-imposed limitations (4.5%). Less strenuous pre-injury job requirement was positively associated with both FCE-determined work ability meeting pre-injury job requirement and clearance for RTW (p<0.001 and p=0.034, respectively; Table 1). Conclusion: Approximately two-thirds of patients undergoing FCE after a work-related foot or ankle injury are cleared to RTW. However, it takes a median of two years to achieve this clearance. Patients with jobs that are more physically strenuous are less likely to be able to return to those jobs after injury to the foot or ankle.

scholarly journals Impact of interventions on work-related outcomes for individuals with musculoskeletal injuries after road traffic crash: a systematic review protocol

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte L. Brakenridge ◽  
Elise M. Gane ◽  
Esther J. Smits ◽  
Nicole E. Andrews ◽  
Venerina Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Sick Leave ◽  
Return To Work ◽  
Work Ability ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Musculoskeletal Injury ◽  
Musculoskeletal Injuries ◽  
Road Traffic Crash ◽  
Traffic Crash ◽  
Work Related

Abstract Background Musculoskeletal injuries are the most common non-fatal injury from road traffic crashes. Even when the injuries are mild, they can cause pain which can affect return to work rates and work ability post-crash. Workplace output losses are the biggest cost from traffic crash-related injuries. There is a need to identify effective interventions that can improve work-related outcomes (e.g. time to return to work, sick leave, and work ability) in this group and a need to understand the intervention components, external factors, and participant characteristics that may be associated with improvement. Methods A systematic review will be conducted using seven databases and search terms related to road traffic crash, musculoskeletal injury, work-related outcomes, and study design. Intervention studies will be eligible if they report on at least one work-related outcome, include adults with a traffic crash-related musculoskeletal injury (e.g. fracture or whiplash), include a comparison group, and are written in English. Interventions can be medical, therapeutic, work-based, multicomponent, or other. Two researchers will independently screen titles and abstracts, review full texts for inclusion in the review, and perform the data extraction. The main outcomes of the review will be time until return to work and duration of sick leave. The results will be narratively described, with meta-analyses conducted where possible. Discussion This review will explore the effectiveness of interventions in individuals with traffic crash-related musculoskeletal injury on work-related outcomes and will act as a useful source for researchers, policy makers, and stakeholders when developing and implementing interventions in this group. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42018103746

scholarly journals Return to work and work ability after injury: results from the prospective outcome of injury study

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. A74-A74
Author(s):  
R. Lilley ◽  
S. Derrett ◽  
S. Ameratunga ◽  
G. Davie
Keyword(s):  
Return To Work ◽  
Work Ability
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