Abstract
Purpose: This paper presents results from a Campbell systematic review on the nature and effectiveness of workplace disability management programs (WPDM) promoting return to work (RTW), as implemented and practiced by employers. A classification of WPDM program components, based on the review results, is proposed. Methods: Twelve databases were searched between 1948 to July 2010 for peer-reviewed studies of WPDM programs provided by employers to re-entering workers with occupational or non-occupational illnesses or injuries. Screening of articles, risk of bias assessment and data extraction were conducted in pairs of reviewers. Studies were clustered around various dimensions of the design and context of programs. Results: 16,932 records were identified by the initial search. 599 papers were assessed for relevance. Thirteen studies met inclusion criteria. Twelve peer reviewed articles (two non-randomized studies, and ten single group experimental before and after studies), including ten different WPDM programs informed the synthesis of results. Narrative descriptions of the included program characteristics provided insight on program scope, components, procedures and human resources involved. However, there were insufficient data on the characteristics of the sample and the effect sizes were uncertain. A taxonomy classifying policies and practices around WPDM programs is proposed. Conclusion: There is insufficient evidence to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of employer provided WPDM programs promoting RTW. It was not possible to determine if specific program components or specific sets of components are driving effectiveness. The proposed taxonomy may guide future WPDM program evaluation and clarify the setup of programs offered to identify gaps in existing company strategies.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Goldner E, Bilsker D, Gilbert M, Myette L, Corbiére M, Dewa CS. Disability management, return-to-work and treatment. Healthc Pap. 2004;5:76–90.
Shrey DE, Hursh NC. Workplace disability management: international trends and perspectives. J Occup Rehab. 1999;9:45–59.
Shrey DE. Disability management in industry: The new paradigm in injured worker rehabilitation. Winter Park: GR Press; 1996.
Loisel P, Durand MJ, Vézina N, Baril R, Gagnon D, Lariviere C, et al. Disability prevention: new paradigm for the management of occupational back pain. Dis Manag Health Out. 2001;9:351–60.
Habeck RV, Hunt AH. Disability management perspectives: developing accommodating work environments through disability management. Am Rehab 1999; Spring:18–25.
Habeck RV, Krees M, Scully S, Kirchner K. Determining the significance of disability management movement for rehabilitation counselor education. Rehabl Educ. 1994;8(3):195–240.
Habeck R, Hunt A. Employee retention and integrated disability management practices as demand side factors. J Occup Rehab. 2010;20:443–55.
Williams RM, Westmorland M. Perspectives on workplace disability management: a review of the literature. Work. 2002;19:87–93.
Annett M. Disability management in organizations: antecedents and consequences of programs and manager behaviours, PhD dissertation University of Alberta; 2008.
Akabas SH, Gates LB, Galvin DE. Disability management: a complete system to reduce costs, increase productivity, meet employee needs, and ensure legal compliance. New York: American Management Association; 1992.
Shrey DE. Worksite disability management and industrial rehabilitation: an overview. In: Shrey DE, Lacerte M, editors. Principles and practices of disability management in industry. Winter Park: GR Press Inc; 1995.
Durand MJ, Vachon B, Loisel P, Berthelette D. Constructing the program impact theory for an evidence-based work rehabilitation program for workers with low back pain. Work. 2003;21:233–42.
Amick BC III, Habeck RV, Hunt A, Fossel AH, Chapin A, Keller RB, et al. Measuring the impact of organizational behaviors on work disability prevention and management. J Occup Rehabl. 2000;10(1):21–38.
Franche RL, Cullen K, Clarke J, Irvin E, Sinclair S, Frank J. Workplace-based return-to-work interventions: a systematic review of the quantitative literature. J Occup Rehab. 2005;15:607–31.
van Oostrom SH, Driessen MT, de Vet HCW, Franche RL, Schonstein E, Loisel P, et al. Workplace interventions for preventing work disability. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2009;(2):CD006955.
Krause N, Lund T. Return to work. In: Barling J, editor. The psychology of workplace safety. Washington: American Psychological Association; 2004.
Wallis L. Disability prevention and effective disability management in the Australian red meat industry. PhD dissertation La Trobe University; 2009.
Tompa E, de Oliveira C, Dolinschi R, Irvin E. A systematic review of disability management interventions with economic evaluations. J Occup Rehab. 2008;18:16–26.
Brewer S, King E, Amick BC III, Delclos G, Spear J, Irvin E, et al. A systematic review of injury/illness prevention and loss control (IPC) programs. Toronto: Institute for Work and Health (IWH); 2007.
Brooker AS, Clarke J, Sinclair S, Pennick V, Hogg-Johnson S. Effective disability management and return-to-work practices. In: Sullivan T, editor. Injury and the new world of work. Vancouver: UBC Press, University of British Columbia; 2000.
Shrey DE. Effective worksite-based disability management programs. In: King P. editor. Sourcebook of occupational rehabilitation, Plenum Series in Rehab. & Health, Plenum Press New York. 1998.
Cunningham I, James P. Absence and return to work: towards a research agenda. Pers Rev. 2000;1:33–47.
Whitaker S. The management of sickness absence. J Occup Environ Med. 2001;58:420–4.
James P, Bruyere S, Cunningham I. Absence and disability management. Rev Employ Top. 1997;5:152–84.
Harder HG, Scott LR. Comprehensive disability management. Toronto: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2005.
Schultz IZ, Stowell AW, Feuerstein M, Gatchel RJ. Models of return to work for musculoskeletal disorders. J Occup Rehab. 2007;17:327–52.
Labriola M. Conceptual framework of sickness absence and return to work, focusing on both the individual and the contextual level. Work. 2008;30:377–87.
Shrey DE, Lacerte M. Principles and practices of disability management in industry. Winter Park: GR Press Inc; 1995.
Gensby U, Lund T, Kowalski K, Saidj M, Jørgensen AMK, Filges T, et al. Workplace disability management programs promoting return-to-work. A systematic review. Campbell Syst Rev; 2012.
Loisel P, Buchbinder R, Hazard R, Keller R, Scheel I, van Tulder M, et al. Prevention of work disability due to musculoskeletal disorders: the challenge of implementing evidence. J Occup Rehabl. 2005;15:507–24.
Frank JW, Brooker AS, DeMaio SE, Kerr MS, Maetzel A, Shannon HS. Disability resulting from occupational low back pain: part II: what do we know about secondary prevention? A review of the scientific evidence on prevention after disability begins. Spine. 1996;21:2918–29.
Van Hooser J, Rice DB. Disability management in the workplace. Report from study group, Sixteenth Institute on Rehabilitation Issues, Research Training Centre in Vocational Rehabilitation Arkansas Uni; 1989.
Tate DG, Habeck RV. Disability management: origins, concepts and principles for practice. J Appl Rehab Couns. 1986;17:5–12.
Habeck RV, Leahy MJ, Hunt AH, Chan F, Welch EM. Employer factors related to workers’ compensation claims and disability management. Rehabl Couns Bull. 1991;34:210–26.
Shrey DE, Hush N. Disability management best practices and joint labour-management collaboration. Int J Dis Manag Res. 2006;1:55–63.
Frick K, Jensen PL, Quinlan M, Wilthagen T. Systematic occupational health and safety management: perspectives on an international development. Oxford: UK Elsevier Science Ltd; 2000.
Eakin JM, Clarke J, MacEachen E. Return to work in small workplaces: sociological perspective on workplace experience with Ontario’s ‘early and safe’ strategy. Report on Research, The Research Advisory Council of the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board; 2002.
Gensby U, Lund T, Kowalski K, Saidj M, Jørgensen AMK, Filges T, et al. Workplace disability management programs promoting return-to-work. A protocol. Campbell Syst Rev 2010.
Young AE, Roessler RT, Wasiak R, McPherson KM, van Poppel MNM, Anema JR. A developmental conceptualization of return-to-work. J Occup Rehab. 2005;15:557–68.
Wasiak R, Young AE, Roessler RT, McPherson KM, van Poppel MN, Anema JR. Measuring return to work. J Occup Rehabl. 2007;17:766–81.
Higgins JPT, Green S. Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions. Cochrane book series. West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell; 2008.
Saini M, Shlonsky A. Systematic synthesis of qualitative research. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2011.
Skisak CM, Bhojani F, Tsai SP. Impact of a disability management program on employee productivity in a petrochemical company. J Occup Environ Med. 2006;48:497–504.
Yassi A, Tate R, Cooper JE, Snow C, Vallentyne S, Khokhar JB. Early intervention for back-injured nurses at a large Canadian tertiary care hospital: an evaluation of the effectiveness and cost benefits of a two-year pilot project. J Occup Med. 1995;45:209–14.
Allen RG, Ritzel DO. Return-to-work program. Prof Saf. 1997;42(9):24.
Badii M, Keen D, Yu S, Yassi A. Evaluation of a comprehensive integrated workplace-based program to reduce occupational musculoskeletal injury and its associated morbidity in a large hospital. J Occup Environ Med. 2006;48:1159–65.
Bernacki EJ, Guidera JA, Schaefer JA, Tsai SA. Facilitated early return to work program at a large urban medical center. J Occup Environ Med. 2000;42:1172–7.
Breslin R, Olsheski J. The impact of a transitional work return program on lost time: preliminary data from the minister machine company. NARPPS J. 1996;11:35–40.
Bunn WB, Baver RS, Thomas KE, Stowers AD, Taylor DD, Holloway AM, et al. Impact of a musculoskeletal disability management program on medical costs and productivity in a large manufacturing company. Am J Manag Care. 2006;12:27–39.
Burton WN, Conti DJ. Disability management: corporate medical department management of employee health and productivity. J Occup Environ Med. 2000;42:1006–12.
Davis PM, Badii M, Yassi A. Preventing disability from occupational musculoskeletal injuries in an urban, acute and tertiary care hospital: results from a prevention and early active return-to-work safely program. J Occup Environ Med. 2004;46:1253–62.
Gice JT, Tompkins K. Return to work program in a hospital setting. J Bus Psychol. 1989;20:237–43.
Lemstra M, Olszynski WP. The effectiveness of standard care, early intervention, and occupational management in worker’s comp. Claims (part1). Spine. 2003;28:299–304.
Wood DJ. Design and evaluation of a back injury prevention program within a geriatric hospital. Spine. 1987;12:77–82.
Tate D, Munrowd D, Habeck RV, Kasim R, Adams L, Shepard D. Disability management and rehabilitation outcomes: the Buick-Oldsmoblie-Cadillac Lansing product team report. Michigan: Michigan State University; 1987.
Dyreborg J, Nielsen K, Kines P, Rasmussen K, Olsen O, Limpscomb HJ, et al. Safety interventions for the prevention of accidents in the workplace. Title registration for a review protocol. The Campbell Collaboration; 2011.
Amick BC III, Lerner D, Rogers WH, Rooney T, Katz JN. A review of health-related work outcome measures and their uses, and recommended measures. Spine. 2000;25:3152–60.
Pransky G, Gatchel R, Linton SJ, Loisel P. Improving return to work research. J Occup Rehabl. 2005;15:453–7.
MacEachen E, Clarke J, Franche RL, Irvin E. Systematic review of the qualitative literature on return to work after injury. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2006;32:257–69.
Acknowledgments
The review authors would like to thank the Campbell Collaboration and SFI Campbell. Thanks to Roskilde University (DK), International Research Institute in Stavanger (NO), and Institute for Work and Health (CA) for supporting this review. The lead author also acknowledges his training, as fellowship trainee, in the WDP CIHR Strategic Training Program, at University of Toronto (CA).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Appendix
Appendix
See Table 6.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gensby, U., Labriola, M., Irvin, E. et al. A Classification of Components of Workplace Disability Management Programs: Results from a Systematic Review. J Occup Rehabil 24, 220–241 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-013-9437-x
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-013-9437-x