TY - JOUR
T1 - The Danish national return-to-work program--aims, content, and design of the process and effect evaluation
AU - Aust, Birgit
AU - Helverskov, Trine
AU - Nielsen, Maj Britt Dahl
AU - Bjorner, Jakob Bue
AU - Rugulies, Reiner Ernst
AU - Nielsen, Karina Skafte
AU - Sørensen, Ole H.
AU - Grundtvig, Gry
AU - Andersen, Malene
AU - Hansen, Lars Jørgen
AU - Buchardt, Helle
AU - Nielsen, Lisbeth
AU - Lund, Trine L
AU - Andersen, Berit Irene
AU - Andersen, Mogens
AU - Clausen, Aksel Skovgaard
AU - Heinesen, Eskil
AU - Mortensen, Ole S
AU - Ektor-Andersen, John
AU - Ørbæk, Palle
AU - Winzor, Glen
AU - Bültmann, Ute
AU - Poulsen, Otto M
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - The Danish national return-to-work (RTW) program aims to improve the management of municipal sickness benefit in Denmark. A study is currently ongoing to evaluate the RTW program. The purpose of this article is to describe the study protocol. The program includes 21 municipalities encompassing approximately 19 500 working-age adults on long-term sickness absence, regardless of reason for sickness absence or employment status. It consists of three core elements: (i) establishment of multidisciplinary RTW teams, (ii) introduction of standardized workability assessments and sickness absence management procedures, and (iii) a comprehensive training course for the RTW teams. The effect evaluation is based on a parallel group randomized trial and a stratified cluster controlled trial and focuses on register-based primary outcomes - duration of sickness absence and RTW - and questionnaire-based secondary outcomes such as health and workability. The process evaluation utilizes questionnaires, interviews, and municipal data. The effect evaluation tests whether participants in the intervention have a (i) shorter duration of full-time sickness absence, (ii) longer time until recurrent long-term sickness absence, (iii) faster full RTW, (iv) more positive development in health, workability, pain, and sleep; it also tests whether the program is cost-effective. The process evaluation investigates: (i) whether the expected target population is reached; (ii) if the program is implemented as intended; (iii) how the beneficiaries, the RTW teams, and the external stakeholders experience the program; and (iv) whether contextual factors influenced the implementation. The program has the potential to contribute markedly to lowering human and economic costs and increasing labor force supply. First results will be available in 2013. The trial registrations are ISRCTN43004323, and ISRCTN51445682.
AB - The Danish national return-to-work (RTW) program aims to improve the management of municipal sickness benefit in Denmark. A study is currently ongoing to evaluate the RTW program. The purpose of this article is to describe the study protocol. The program includes 21 municipalities encompassing approximately 19 500 working-age adults on long-term sickness absence, regardless of reason for sickness absence or employment status. It consists of three core elements: (i) establishment of multidisciplinary RTW teams, (ii) introduction of standardized workability assessments and sickness absence management procedures, and (iii) a comprehensive training course for the RTW teams. The effect evaluation is based on a parallel group randomized trial and a stratified cluster controlled trial and focuses on register-based primary outcomes - duration of sickness absence and RTW - and questionnaire-based secondary outcomes such as health and workability. The process evaluation utilizes questionnaires, interviews, and municipal data. The effect evaluation tests whether participants in the intervention have a (i) shorter duration of full-time sickness absence, (ii) longer time until recurrent long-term sickness absence, (iii) faster full RTW, (iv) more positive development in health, workability, pain, and sleep; it also tests whether the program is cost-effective. The process evaluation investigates: (i) whether the expected target population is reached; (ii) if the program is implemented as intended; (iii) how the beneficiaries, the RTW teams, and the external stakeholders experience the program; and (iv) whether contextual factors influenced the implementation. The program has the potential to contribute markedly to lowering human and economic costs and increasing labor force supply. First results will be available in 2013. The trial registrations are ISRCTN43004323, and ISRCTN51445682.
KW - Denmark
KW - Female
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Occupational Health
KW - Occupational Therapy
KW - Organizational Innovation
KW - Program Development
KW - Program Evaluation
KW - Questionnaires
KW - Registries
KW - Sick Leave
KW - Work Capacity Evaluation
U2 - 10.5271/sjweh.3272
DO - 10.5271/sjweh.3272
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 22245919
SN - 0355-3140
VL - 38
SP - 120
EP - 133
JO - Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health
JF - Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health
IS - 2
ER -