scholarly journals Supporting employees with chronic conditions to stay at work: perspectives of occupational health professionals and organizational representatives

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Bosma ◽  
C. R. L. Boot ◽  
N. C. Snippen ◽  
F. G. Schaafsma ◽  
J. R. Anema
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Shared Responsibility ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Occupational Health Care ◽  
Occupational Physicians ◽  
Organizational Attitudes ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Current Practices

Abstract Background Supporting employees with chronic conditions can prevent work-related problems and facilitate sustainable employment. Various stakeholders are involved in providing support to these employees. Understanding their current practices and experienced barriers is useful for the development of an organizational-level intervention to improve this support. The aim of this study was to explore the current practices of occupational physicians and organizational representatives, identifying both barriers to providing support and opportunities for improvement. Methods Two focus groups with sixteen occupational physicians and seven semi-structured interviews with organizational representatives were held between January and June 2018. Data was analyzed using thematic content analysis. Results Several barriers to offer support were identified, including barriers at the organizational level (negative organizational attitudes towards employees with chronic conditions), the employee level (employees’ reluctance to collaborate with employers in dealing with work-related problems), and in the collaboration between occupational physicians and organizational representatives. In addition, barriers in occupational health care were described, e.g. occupational physicians’ lack of visibility and a lack of utilization of occupational physicians’ support. Opportunities to optimize support included a shared responsibility of all stakeholders involved, actively anchoring prevention of work-related problems in policy and practice and a more pronounced role of the health care sector in preventing work-related problems. Conclusions Preventing work-related problems for employees with chronic conditions can be achieved by addressing the identified barriers to provide support. In addition, both occupational physicians and organizational representatives should initiate and secure preventive support at the organizational level and in occupational health care. These insights are helpful in developing an intervention aimed at supporting employees with chronic conditions to stay at work.

scholarly journals Attending Weak Signals: The Prevention of Work-related Illnesses

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy Liff ◽  
Ann-Charlotte Eriksson ◽  
Ewa Wikström
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health Care ◽  
Weak Signals ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Safety Work ◽  
Informal Information ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
The Right

This article examines the characteristics of communication among managers, human resource (HR) experts, and occupational health care specialists, as they deal with such informal information as weak signals in the prevention of work-related illnesses, using a theoretical framework in which the prevention of work-related illness is analogous to theory on crisis management. This is a qualitative study in which individual and focus-group interviews were conducted in a Swedish context with occupational health care specialists, managers, and HR experts. The results suggest that organizational solutions have failed and continue to fail at controlling workers’ health problems, although the main difficulty is not in identifying the ‘right’ individually oriented weak signals. Rather, it is upper management’s reliance on formal information (e.g., statistics and surveys) – because of the difficulty in supplementing it with informal information (e.g., rumors and gossip) – that makes it difficult to improve traditional health and safety work

scholarly journals Attending Weak Signals: The Prevention of Work-related Illnesses

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy Liff ◽  
Ann-Charlotte Eriksson ◽  
Ewa Wikström
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health Care ◽  
Weak Signals ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Safety Work ◽  
Informal Information ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
The Right

This article examines the characteristics of communication among managers, human resource (HR) experts, and occupational health care specialists, as they deal with such informal information as weak signals in the prevention of work-related illnesses, using a theoretical framework in which the prevention of work-related illness is analogous to theory on crisis management. This is a qualitative study in which individual and focus-group interviews were conducted in a Swedish context with occupational health care specialists, managers, and HR experts. The results suggest that organizational solutions have failed and continue to fail at controlling workers’ health problems, although the main difficulty is not in identifying the ‘right’ individually oriented weak signals. Rather, it is upper management’s reliance on formal information (e.g., statistics and surveys) – because of the difficulty in supplementing it with informal information (e.g., rumors and gossip) – that makes it difficult to improve traditional health and safety work.

scholarly journals Development of an Intervention to Create a Supportive Work Environment for Employees with Chronic Conditions: An Intervention Mapping Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 624-634
Author(s):  
A. R. Bosma ◽  
C. R. L. Boot ◽  
F. G. Schaafsma ◽  
G. Kok ◽  
J. R. Anema
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Intervention Mapping ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Program Outcomes ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Occupational Physicians ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Sustainable Employment ◽  
The Individual

AbstractPurpose This study describes the development of an evidence-based intervention to create a supportive work environment for employees with chronic conditions. Occupational physicians (OPs) play an important role in guiding organizations in this process of organizational change. Supportive work environments can aid in preventing work-related problems and facilitate sustainable employment. Current workplace interventions for employees with chronic conditions are mainly focused on return to work or a reduction in sick leave at the individual worker’s level. This study contributes to the literature an organizational-level intervention which utilizes a preventive approach. Methods Intervention mapping (IM) is a six-step, structured protocol that was used to develop this intervention. In step 1, a needs assessment was conducted to define the problem and explore the perspectives of all stakeholders involved. The program outcomes and the performance objectives of employees with chronic conditions and occupational physicians were specified in step 2. In step 3, appropriate methods and practical applications were chosen. Step 4 describes the actual development of the intervention, consisting of (1) a training for occupational physicians to teach them how to guide organizations in creating a supportive work environment; (2) a practical assignment; and (3) a follow-up meeting. The intervention will be implemented in a pilot study in which occupational physicians will put their acquired knowledge and skills into practice within one of their organizations, which is delineated in step 5. Conclusions IM proved to be a valuable and practical tool for the development of this intervention, aiming to facilitate sustainable employment for employees with chronic conditions.

Problems of providing occupational health care to employees of agro-industrial complex

2020 ◽  
pp. 567-567
Author(s):  
Z. M. Berheeva
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Occupational Diseases ◽  
Industrial Complex ◽  
Occupational Health Care ◽  
Occupational Physicians ◽  
District Hospitals ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Central District ◽  
Medical Examinations

The presence in the Central district hospitals of occupational physicians has increased the detection of occupational diseases among agricultural workers when seeking medical care. The lack of regular medical examinations leads to late diagnosis, an increase in the number of patients with initially identified two or more occupational diseases.

Validation of the disease experience questionnaire for working age adults with chronic conditions

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Galardi ◽  
I Houkes ◽  
A de Rijk
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Patient Needs ◽  
Occupational Health Care ◽  
Working Age ◽  
Disease Experience ◽  
Criterion Variables ◽  
Experience Questionnaire

Abstract Background Working age adults diagnosed with chronic diseases are growing in prevalence and not all of them manage to stay at work. Chronic conditions need a long-term response from the (occupational) health care system, which, however, is structured mostly around acute episodes. The aim was to develop and validate a questionnaire tapping working age patients' lived experiences with their chronic disease. Methods Based on a qualitative study, the 13-item Disease Experience Questionnaire (DEQ) was developed for persons in working age. DEQ taps 3 types of disease experiences: 1) Disruption: hopelessness and irreparable loss; 2) Meaningful: an opportunity to set new life priorities; 3) Episode: an inconvenient period to be overcome. Items were filled out online by 2,028 persons diagnosed with chronic headache, autism, HIV, neurofibromatosis, CKD or sarcoidosis. Several proxy variables and demographics were measured. Data were analyzed with PCA, reliability analysis, correlations with criterion variables and ANOVA to compare levels of disease experiences across groups differing in age, education and work status. Results Disruption was valid for all disease groups. Lower educated and non-working persons had significantly higher Disruption levels. Meaningful was valid for the total sample, the autism, HIV and sarcoidosis groups. Cronbach's alphas were .755 and .661 respectively. Episode was only valid for the HIV group (Cronbach's alpha .632). Levels of Meaningful and Episode did not differ in relation to age, education or work status. Correlations with criterion variables were in the expected directions. Conclusions DEQ is a valid tool for identifying disease experiences in working age adults with diverse chronic diseases. The disease experience of persons with HIV, for which also the Episode subscale can be helpful, differs from that of persons with other chronic diseases. The Disruption and Meaningful subscales can help to tailor (occupational) health care to patient needs. Key messages The Disease Experience Questionnaire (DEQ) is a valid tool to identify disease experiences in the working age population with chronic diseases. The DEQ Disruption and Meaningful subscales can help to tailor (occupational) health care to patient needs.

Kuntoutukseen osallistuminen ja eri osajärjestelmien ristikkäiskäyttö

Kuntoutus ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 6-20
Author(s):  
Hanna Rinne ◽  
Jenni Blomgren
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Social Insurance ◽  
Pension System ◽  
Rehabilitation Services ◽  
Occupational Health Care ◽  
The Public ◽  
Social Insurance Institution ◽  
The Social ◽  
The City

Tieto kuntoutuksen kentän kokonaisuudesta ja erilaisten kuntoutuspalveluiden käytöstä samoilla ihmisillä on varsin hajanaista ja puutteellista. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää kuntoutukseen osallistumisen yleisyyttä ja päällekkäisyyttä eri osajärjestelmissä Oulun asukkailla vuonna 2018 laajalla rekisteriaineistolla (N = 192 844). Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan julkisen sosiaali- ja terveyspalvelujärjestelmän kuntoutusta, Kelan kuntoutusta, työeläkekuntoutusta, työterveyshuollon fysioterapiaa ja Kelan korvaamaa yksityistä fysioterapiaa. Vuonna 2018 oululaisista 18 prosenttia sai vähintään yhden tutkitun osajärjestelmän kuntoutusta (N = 34 061). Yleisintä oli julkisen sosiaali- ja terveyspalvelujärjestelmän kuntoutus, harvinaisinta työeläkekuntoutus. Naiset osallistuivat kuntoutukseen miehiä yleisemmin. Kuntoutukseen osallistuminen oli miehillä yleisintä 65 vuotta täyttäneillä, naisilla 45–64-vuotiailla. Harvinaisinta se oli 16–24-vuotiailla miehillä ja alle 16-vuotiailla naisilla. Suurin osa (90 %) kuntoutukseen osallistuneista oli osallistunut vain yhden osajärjestelmän kuntoutukseen. Useamman osajärjestelmän kuntoutukseen osallistuminen oli naisilla miehiä yleisempää. Ikäryhmistä se oli yleisintä 45–64-vuotiailla ja harvinaisinta alle 16-vuotiailla. Vähintään kahden osajärjestelmän kuntoutukseen osallistuneet olivat keskimäärin vanhempia kuin vain yhden osajärjestelmän kuntoutukseen osallistuneet ja myös naisten osuus oli heillä suurempi. Rekisteritietoja kuntoutuksesta on hankala koota kattavasti, sillä järjestelmä on hyvin hajanainen ja toimijoita ja rekisterinpitäjiä on lukuisia. Myös kuntoutuksen määrittely aineistoista osoittautui vaikeaksi. Yhtenäiset tietojärjestelmät kuntoutuksesta palvelisivat paitsi tutkijoita, myös kuntoutujia. Abstract Prevalence and overlap of participation in rehabilitation in different subsystems – a register-based study among residents of the city of Oulu, Finland, in 2018 Knowledge of the whole spectrum of rehabilitation and of the use of different rehabilitation services by the same individuals is quite fragmented and incomplete. The aim of this study is to examine the prevalence and overlap of participation in rehabilitation in different subsystems among residents of the city of Oulu, Finland, in 2018 using extensive register-based data (N=192,844). The study examines rehabilitation organized by the public social and health care system, by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, by the earnings-related pension system, as well as physiotherapy in occupational health care and private physiotherapy reimbursed by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland. In 2018, 18 per cent of the residents of Oulu received rehabilitation of at least one of the examined subsystems (N=34,061). Receiving rehabilitation of public social and health care was the most common; the rarest was rehabilitation within the earnings-related pension system. Women participated in rehabilitation more often than men. Using rehabilitation services was most common in men aged 65 and over, and in women aged 45–64. It was least common in men aged 16–24 years and in women under 16 years of age. The majority (90%) of those who participated in rehabilitation had participated in rehabilitation of only one subsystem. Participation in rehabilitation of several subsystems was more common in women than in men. It was most common in those aged 45–64 years and least common in those under 16 years of age. Those who received rehabilitation of at least two subsystems were, on average, older than those who received rehabilitation of only one subsystem, and more often women. It is difficult to compile comprehensive register data on rehabilitation, as the system is very fragmented and there are many organizers and registrars. Defining rehabilitation from the data also proved difficult. Unified information systems on rehabilitation would serve not only researchers but also rehabilitees. Keywords: rehabilitation, register-based research, Finland

scholarly journals Telemedical Coaching Improves Long-Term Weight Loss in Overweight Persons: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerstin Kempf ◽  
Martin Röhling ◽  
Monika Stichert ◽  
Gabriele Fischer ◽  
Elke Boschem ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Weight Loss ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Care Setting ◽  
Health Care Setting ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Lifestyle Interventions ◽  
Occupational Health Care ◽  
Weight Losses

Background. Lifestyle interventions have shown to be effective when continuous personal support was provided. However, there is lack of knowledge whether a telemedical-approach with personal coaching contributes to long-term weight losses in overweight employees. We, therefore, tested the hypothesis that telemedical-based lifestyle interventions accompanied with telemedical coaching lead to larger weight losses in overweight persons in an occupational health care setting. Methods. Overweight employees (n=180) with a body mass index (BMI) of >27 kg/m2 were randomized into either a telemedical (TM) group (n=61), a telemedical coaching (TMC) group (n=58), or a control group (n=61). Both intervention groups were equipped with scales and pedometers automatically transferring the data into a personalized online portal, which could be monitored from participants and coaches. Participants of the TMC group received additionally one motivational care call per week by mental coaches to discuss the current data (current weight and steps) and achieving goals such as a healthy lifestyle or weight reduction. The control group remained in routine care. Clinical and anthropometric data were determined after the 12-week intervention. Additionally, weight change was followed up after 12 months. Results. Participants of TMC (-3.1 ± 4.8 kg, p<0.0001) and TM group (-1.9 ± 4.0 kg; p=0.0012) significantly reduced weight and sustained it during the 1-year follow-up, while the control group showed no change. Compared to the control group only weight loss in the TMC group was significantly different (p<0.001) after 12 months. TMC and TM group also reduced BMI, waist circumference, and LDL cholesterol. Moreover, TMC group improved additionally systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and HbA1c. Conclusions. Telemedical devices in combination with telemedical coaching lead to significant long-term weight reductions in overweight persons in an occupational health care setting. This study is registered with NCT01868763, ClinicalTrials.gov.

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