Research is chosen for review based on the quality of the original work and its practical value in supporting return to work. The Writing Team is always interested in feedback, we look forward to your comments.
Requests by licensees to undertake a review of the existing research on a particular subject together are also encouraged. We can't guarantee that we will find useful resources to meet particular needs, but we will respond with the best available.
|
Treatment recommendations: making them stick
By: Friyana Bhabha
How to help patients adhere to treatment recommendations
|
Fear, distress and heavy lifting: predictors of ongoing back pain
By: Friyana Bhabha
Psychological distress, heavy lifting and fear of activity are better predictors of back pain than MRI scans.
|
Bearing the brunt of obesity
By: Friyana Bhabha
How obesity impacts the workplace
|
The costs of mental health problems ARE negotiable
By: Friyana Bhabha
Lowering the costs of mental health problems for governments, employers, families and sufferers
|
Upper Extremity Trauma: What happens after workers return to work?
By: Friyana Bhabha
Understanding work and cost outcomes of overuse arm problems.
|
What’s behind psychosocial sick leave?
By: Frederieke Schaafsma
A look at the factors which predict psychosocial sick leave.
|
Optimising Occupational Health
By: Frederieke Schaafsma
Decisions made in Occupational Health Care that follow the 5-step protocol of Evidence-Based Medicine have good outcomes for workers and employers.
|
Tackling stress on-line
By: Friyana Bhabha
A web-based approach to managing stress and mood disorders
|
Managing Depression-related Occupational Disability
By: Friyana Bhabha
A guide for managing depression-related occupational disability
|
Distress, fatigue and long-term sick leave
By: Frederieke Schaafsma
What puts men and women at risk of taking long term sick leave? This study explores the roles played by psychological distress and fatigue.
|
Tick, tick, tick: The timing of intervention.
By: Joy Hewitt
Intervention by nurse case managers during the first week after onset of back pain improves workers' satisfaction with their employer and healthcare provider and reduces sick leave absences.
|
Seeking compensation for major trauma after accidental injury - more stress than its worth??
By: Joy Hewitt
A clinical study has identified that the development and persistence of post-traumatic stress disorder following major trauma is not related to injury severity, but may be associated with factors such as blaming others for the accident and processes invol
|
Predictors of poor outcome in patients with musculoskeletal pain
By: Joy Hewitt
Generic prognostic factors may assist primary care practitioners to identify those patients with musculoskeletal pain who are at risk of poor outcomes, regardless of the site of their pain.
|
Why me? Predicting Neck Pain
By: Friyana Bhabha
Certain factors put people at risk of recurrent neck pain. What predicts recovery? This study examines the evidence.
|
A pain in the neck?
By: Mary Wyatt
A Canadian study explores the relationship between neck pain and lost time claims.
|
Early Intervention: Risky Business?
By: Gabrielle Lis
Early intervention programs for lower back pain aim to keep workers in the workplace. How can you ensure that yours is a success?
|
"I'll need a sick leave certificate too, doc ......."
By: Joy Hewitt
Swedish general practitioners were interviewed to identify the barriers that prevented them from applying best clinical practice when issuing certificates for sick leave absences from work.
|
When Safety Turns Dangerous...
By: Andrea Thompson
Safety incentive programs may reduce workplace injury rates but they can also cause under-reporting.
|
Save Lives, Save Money: HPMs and Sustainable Health at Work
By: Andrea Thompson
The best work disability programs are broader than return to work management. Improving the health of the workforce reduces absenteesim, compensation costs and improves productivity.
|
Supervising Recovery
By: Andrea Thompson
Employer response to injury impacts employee recovery. This study identifies where employers go wrong – and how to fix it!
|
Team Ergonomics
By: Andrea Thompson
This literature review examines some examples of the positive effects of participatory ergonomic (PE) intervention on improving workers' health.
|
Arthritis and the Mind
By: Friyana Bhabha
Psychosocial approaches to managing arthritis help sufferers make the most of medical care.
|
Back problems: beliefs and recovery
By: Mary Wyatt
A person's beliefs about back problems influence how they engage with treatment, so providing the right information is vital.
|
More than just pain
By: Friyana Bhabha
There is more to chronic widespread pain, than pain itself.
|
An all round approach to Fibromyalgia
By: Friyana Bhabha
Fibromyalgia can be managed through a combination of physical and psychological rehabilitation.
|
Chronic Fatigue: NOT a dead end
By: Gabrielle Lis
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), graded exercise therapy (GET) and good planning help chronic fatigue sufferers return to work.
|
Is there a place for therapeutic RTW?
By: Gabrielle Lis
A comparison of train-before-placing and place-before-training models demonstrates that on the job rehabilitation can improve outcomes for people with psychiatric disabilities.
|
Compensating for Legislation
By: Mary Wyatt
Case Study NSW: How do changes to a compensation system effect whiplash recovery outcomes?
|
Left behind in the return to work journey - Part 1
By: Mary Wyatt
A look at barriers to return to work for those out of work for two years. Return to work after being off work for long periods is challenging and uncommon, understanding the barriers is vital.
|
Left behind in the return to work journey - Part 2
By: Mary Wyatt
Long term claimants commonly describe a system that is frustrating, does not consider their needs, and misses out on treating them as an individual.
|
Managing chronic pain and return to work in the real world - A case study
By: Mary Wyatt
Chronic pain is challenging to manage - here is a case that was complex but where input and a structured approach paid off.
|
Using the ICF as a conceptual framework to guide ergonomic intervention in occupational rehabilitation
By: Mary Wyatt
A broad and comprehensive approach to exploring return to work issues is provided by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF).
|
Which work factors determine job satisfaction?
By: Mary Wyatt
Job satisfaction improves mental health. Task variety, colleagues, and general working conditions improve overall job satisfaction.
|
Shifting attitudes to back pain - the Scots follow the Aussies
By: Mary Wyatt
A public health campaign in Scotland has improved people's understanding and beliefs about back problems.
|
An active worker is a productive worker: regular exercise reduces sick leave absences
By: Joy Hewitt
This follow-up study examined the relationship between the after-hours physical activity of workers and their absences from work due to sick leave.
|
While looking after others, don't forget to look after yourself!
By: Joy Hewitt
A self-evaluation tool is described which may assist healthcare professionals to develop self-resilience and equip them to identify, prioritise and achieve personal and professional goals.
|
The great unknown: risk factors for co-existing chronic pain syndromes
By: Joy Hewitt
The current understanding of the occurrence of multiple regional chronic pain syndromes is discussed and concludes more research is needed.
|
Employee input into improving their work environment: just the prescription for treating sick leave absences
By: Joy Hewitt
Implementation of an 'organisational rehabilitation' program that identified and addressed employee's individual concerns with their work environment resulted in a substantial reduction in sick leave absences and the associated costs.
|
Locus of control and vocational rehabilitation
By: Mary Wyatt
A sense of control over the situation improves return to work outcomes.
|
An investigation of a workplace-based return to work program for shoulder injuries
By: Mary Wyatt
Shoulder problems are common. Having a standard system in place with the employee and supervisor as first line managers of the issue can streamline return to work.
|
The empowerment of people with neck pain
By: Mary Wyatt
Improved understanding about neck problems helps the patient get a better grasp on their condition, what can be done to improve the situation and what is likely to occur. It also helps treaters, workplaces, insurers and policy makers.
|
How common is neck pain in workers, and what contributes to neck problems
By: Mary Wyatt
Neck pain is a common condition in workers, and psychosocial factors influence outcomes.
|
The world's best look at neck pain
By: Mary Wyatt
The Task Force on Neck Pain was a major undertaking, seeking to review and summarise information on neck pain problems, treatments, and what can be done to improve neck pain outcomes.
|
How do workers with neck pain fare, and what influences their progress
By: Mary Wyatt
Neck pain commonly follows a persistent or recurrent course. Between 60% to 80% of workers who advise a sore neck at some point report they have a sore neck a year later. Workers who exercise do better, and white collar workers return to work sooner.
|
Tell us what you really think: workplace supervisors' views of multidisciplinary vocational rehabilitation programs
By: Joy Hewitt
Implementation of a multidisciplinary vocational rehabilitation program was positively regarded by the supervisors of participating employees.
|
When to take extended sick leave – a complex decision for workers with spine-related pain
By: Joy Hewitt
This study identified a range of factors that influence when workers with neck and low-back (spine-related) pain take extended sick leave.
|
A caring doctor is an important predictor of the success of return to work programs
By: Joy Hewitt
Return to work programs are more likely to have positive outcomes if participants have a stable relationship with a doctor who is attentive and empathetic, and provide good information about health and social options.
|
Musculoskeletal problems with anxiety / depression - double trouble.
By: Joy Hewitt
People with musculoskeletal disorders and accompanying depression or anxiety have reduced levels of workforce participation. Tailored return-to-work programs that offer more intensive and continuous levels of support may help.
|
Workplace injuries, absenteeism and turnover among nurses are influenced by role stresses
By: Joy Hewitt
Workplace intervention programs to reduce injuries, absenteeism and turnover among nurses should be designed to address the key factors of role ambiguity and role conflict, and improve workplace cohesion.
|
Are neurocognitive impairments being identified early enough, or at all, after critical illness?
By: Andrea Thompson
A review of the assessment of neurocognitive impairment in critically ill patients and the resultant long term impact.
|
Managing depression-related disability claims.
By: Andrea Thompson
How accurate medical evaluation and reporting can streamline the process of determining a depression related claim.
|
How effective is individual patient education for people with low back pain?
By: Andrea Thompson
Evidence suggests provision of an intensive one-on-one education session can improve the short and long term return to work outcomes for patients with acute and sub-acute lower back pain.
|
Empowering workers to stay in their original employment – a better outcome from chronic injury.
By: Andrea Thompson
Based on the rationale that it is easier to keep a job than to find a new one, the new focus of vocational rehabilitation for workers with chronic conditions is empowering the worker to stay in their original position.
|
Return to work is possible after Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
By: Andrea Thompson
While Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a significantly debilitating and lengthy illness, there is evidence to suggest a return to work is possible after effective treatment. Medical retirement should not be considered too early.
|
Employer communication and concern improves workers' compensation outcomes
By: Joy Hewitt
A number of simple initiatives can have a positive impact on timely return to work and decrease costs.
|
A tool to measure motivation
By: Joy Hewitt
The Model of Creative Ability may be a useful tool in return-to-work programs to assess and measure motivation.
|
Disability management interventions provide economic and health outcome benefits
By: Joy Hewitt
There is solid research evidence that return to work management programs improve the 'bottom line'.
|
The return-to-work experiences of injured workers
By: Joy Hewitt
It helps to know what they are going through
|
What helps RTW for people with chronic pain
By: Joy Hewitt
Surveys can help identify factors that will improve RTW
|
Arm pain and RTW - work modifications the work
By: Andrea Thompson
Lessons learnt from an integrated case management approach for arm problems
|
High need employees and RTW - understanding the barriers
By: Andrea Thompson
Complex case management - effective ways to work together
|
RTW management - what can workplaces do to intervene?
By: Andrea Thompson
A mixed bag of workplace interventions have been trialled over the last 20 years.
|
Zest for work - does it influence return to work
By: Andrea Thompson
Job satisfaction and engagement influences a person's work attendance.
|
Shoulder and elbow pain - which treatments work?
By: Anna Kelsey-Sugg
Evidence for and against common treatments for shoulder and elbow pain.
|
Job satisfaction: getting real about what employees think
By: Julian Fernando
Management and supervisors overestimate the level of satifaction workers have in their jobs.
|
Beliefs and expectations of recovery affect return to work
By: Julian Fernando
How to identify with issues of concern to individuals and develop strategies to deal with them.
|
Not just a number: injured workers’ satisfaction with case managers
By: Julian Fernando
What makes a good case manager?
|
Positive expectations lead to positive outcomes
By: Julian Fernando
Evidence that patient’s expectations for recovery are predictive of their health outcomes.
|
Does self-efficacy predict return-to-work after sickness absence?
By: Julian Fernando
If you feel you can cope with a difficult situation will you get back to work earlier?
|
The value of workplace interventions in expediting return to work
By: Julian Fernando
Workplace interventions are successful and cost effective ways of returning people with low back pain to work.
|
Competencies required for effective return-to-work coordination
By: Joy Hewitt
A recent review of the literature has identified the core competencies that are important for effective return-to-work coordination.
|
Return-to-work coordinators: who are they and what do they do?
By: Joy Hewitt
A detailed review of the tasks and role of coordinators
|
What happens in the first 5 minutes after an injury is vital
By: Robert Hughes
Look after the attitude as well as the injury
|
Training supervisors in return to work
By: Hilary Hoare
Training clarifies the role of supervisors and gives confidence.
|
Improving disability management in the workplace
By: Hilary Hoare
What works when designing disability management programs in the workplace?
|
Approaches to managing chronic pain
By: Hilary Hoare
How do we diagnose and treat chronic pain? Understanding that the causes of pain can be complex may help us to better manage it.
|
Ways to assign modified work duties
By: Hilary Hoare
How to decide which job modifications are right for an injured worker?
|
Are disability management programs worth investing in?
By: Hilary Hoare
Evidence that disability management programs in the workplace do reduce the cost of work-related injury.
|
What do return-to-work coordinators need to know?
By: Hilary Hoare
How to be a great listener and a straight talker. To have the patience of Job and be great at resolving conflict.
|
