A Sensibility Assessment of the Job Demands and Accommodation Planning Tool (JDAPT): A Tool to Help Workers with an Episodic Disability Plan Workplace Support

Abstract

Purpose Sensibility refers to a tool’s comprehensiveness, understandability, relevance, feasibility, and length. It is used in the early development phase to begin assessing a new tool or intervention. This study examined the sensibility of the job demands and accommodation planning tool (JDAPT). The JDAPT identifies job demands related to physical, cognitive, interpersonal, and working conditions to better target strategies for workplace supports and accommodations aimed at assisting individuals with chronic health conditions. Methods Workers with a chronic health condition and workplace representatives were recruited from health charities, workplaces, and newsletters using convenience sampling. Cognitive interviews assessed the JDAPT’s sensibility. A 70% endorsement rate was the minimum level of acceptability for sensibility concepts. A short screening tool also was administered, and answers compared to the complete JDAPT. Results Participants were 46 workers and 23 organizational representatives (n = 69). Endorsements highly exceeded the 70% cut-off for understandability, relevance, and length. Congruence between screening questions and the complete JDAPT suggested both workers and organizational representatives overlooked job demands when completing the screener. Participants provided additional examples and three new items to improve comprehensiveness. The JDAPT was rated highly relevant and useful, although not always easy to complete for someone with an episodic condition. Conclusions This study highlights the need for tools that facilitate accommodations for workers with episodic disabilities and provides early evidence for the sensibility of the JDAPT.

Systematic review and tools appraisal of prognostic factors of return to work in workers on sick leave due to musculoskeletal and common mental disorders

“…Nevertheless, when interpreting the results on work accommodations, it should be taken into account that included studies mainly relied on single items with poor psychometric characteristics. Therefore, upcoming research should strengthen the development of new tools or adapting the existing ones, like the Work Accommodation and Natural Support Scale (WANSS; [ 105 ]) or the Job Demands and Accommodation Planning Tool (JDAPT; [ 106 ]).…”

Psychometric testing of the British‐English Perceived Workplace Support Scale, Work Accommodations, Benefits, Policies and Practices Scale, and Work Transitions Index in four rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions

“…Potentially, a stronger correlation might have been anticipated, that is, as work difficulties increase, so does the need for work accommodations. However, people with long‐term health conditions may take some time to adjust psychologically to accepting the need for work accommodations, not (yet) perceive the need for these despite work difficulties and find it challenging to identify needs (British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine, 2021; Gignac et al., 2023). Additionally, they simply may not know their legal rights, or perceive these are unavailable, and not consider their needs.…”

The Duty to Accommodate

“…Although the study by Jazayeri et al 1 is restricted to one of the rheumatic diseases and to Canadian patients only, numerous studies have addressed the issues of job accommodation in other rheumatic diseases and other causes of disabilities. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] It is interesting that in systemic lupus erythematosus, the most common job accommodation used was sick leave days, which is not an unusual accommodation and does not require any true workplace adaptations. 4 It has been found that inclusive and supportive workplace environments-not employee psychosocial factors-are the key factors in increasing the likelihood of receiving accommodations as well as the subsequent association between receiving the accommodation and job satisfaction.…”