Effect of an eHealth Intervention to Reduce Sickness Absence Frequency Among Employees With Frequent Sickness Absence: Randomized Controlled Trial

Notenbomer, Annette; Roelen, Corné; Groothoff, Johan W.; Rhenen, Willem van; Bültmann, Ute

doi:10.2196/10821

Cited by 10 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…SA is a complex, multifactorial phenomenon, which often has personal, workrelated, and social determinants [9,10]. For the prevention of SA, return to work strategies to prevent SA, as well interventions based on principles of universal or selective prevention (which only focus on one or two explaining factors) appear to be less effective [8,11,12]. Because often due to the multifactorial etiology of SA, a more comprehensive approach is needed [11,12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring expected and perceived facilitators and barriers of an indicated prevention strategy to prevent future long-term sickness absence; a qualitative study among employers and employees

et al. 2021

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Background An indicated prevention strategy (IPS), consisting of a screening questionnaire and early treatment, was found to be effective for the prevention of future long-term sickness absence (LTSA) in two large Dutch RCT’s. This IPS aims to detect employees who have a high risk to become absent, and subsequently offer them early treatment. Despite the overall effectiveness, only a few companies have implemented this strategy so far. This suggests that companies may not be convinced of the (cost) effectiveness of this strategy yet. In companies where IPS has been implemented, screenings uptake and adherence to early treatment appeared to be moderate, indicating that both employees and employers might perceive barriers. Methods The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the expected and perceived facilitators and barriers for the implementation of the IPS. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 9 employers and 11 employees (acquainted and unacquainted with IPS) from large companies. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants. All interviews were transcribed and analyzed thematically. Results The employers believed they were primarily responsible for psychological and work-related health complaints and SA, while the employees felt responsible for health complaints related to their lifestyle. According to the employees, the responsibility of the employer was solely related to work-related health. This finding exposed a relation with the health culture, which was solely based on creating a safe work environment, omitting psychological health issues. The efficacy of this IPS regarding reducing SA was estimated positive, however, the efficacy regarding LTSA was questioned. Fear of a privacy breach was often mentioned by the respondents as an important barrier. Conclusions This study showed that the health culture within a company may be important for the perceived responsibility towards SA and health. A health culture which primarily focuses on physical complaints may raise barriers for the adoption and implementation of this preventive strategy. Participant’ perceptions of the nature of LTSA and the fact that not all participants were familiar with the exact content and phasing of IPS may have doubted the efficacy regarding LTSA. This study provides important clues for future and improved implementation of IPS.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring expected and perceived facilitators and barriers of an indicated prevention strategy to prevent future long-term sickness absence; a qualitative study among employers and employees

et al. 2021

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“…Ten studies were RCTs evaluating the effect of eHealth interventions on the duration of sick leave. 8 , 22 , 26 , 53 - 59 One study used qualitative interviews, 60 one study used a time-series analysis, 61 and one study used a mixed methods design. 7 In four studies, the main aim was to explore the feasibility or acceptability of the eHealth intervention.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 7 Three of the identified studies reported on an eHealth intervention for employees sick-listed due to various diagnoses; one of the studies included employees with musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, or common mental disorders, 56 and two studies included employees sick-listed due to any type of diagnosis. 26 , 61 …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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eHealth interventions to facilitate work participation: a scoping review

Johnsen

Johansen²,

Momsen

et al. 2021

JBI Evidence Synthesis

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Objective: The objective of this scoping review was to identify studies combining the concepts of eHealth and work participation for sick-listed employees across diagnostic groups in health care and workplace contexts. Introduction: There is an increased demand for better health care services and technologies, and eHealth is proposed as a useful tool to improve efficiency and reduce costs. eHealth functions at the intersection of medical informatics, public health, and business, and may be a promising solution for managing the process of return to work among employees on sick leave. Assessment of work outcomes is essential in evaluating the effectiveness of health services, and there is a need to map the research literature on existing eHealth interventions to facilitate work participation. Inclusion criteria: This scoping review considered studies combining two core concepts: eHealth and work participation. It considered studies on eHealth interventions for employees (18 to 65 years of age) on sick leave due to any type of diagnosis or disability, conducted by any stakeholder in workplace or health care contexts and in any country. Empirical data from both quantitative and qualitative studies were included. Methods: Published and unpublished studies from January 1, 2008, to August 21, 2020, written in English were included in this review. The search was conducted in MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, PsycINFO, WHO clinical registry, and ClinicalTrials.gov. A three-step search strategy was followed. Data extraction was performed by two independent reviewers and undertaken using an extraction tool developed specifically for the scoping review objectives. Results: This review identified 15 studies eligible for inclusion. Four studies delivered the eHealth intervention by telephone, while 10 interventions were web-based. Of the web-based interventions, five had a blended approach, such as website and email support, or website and social media platforms. One study used an app-based intervention. Only eight studies targeted employees sick-listed due to common sick leave diagnoses, such as common mental disorders and musculoskeletal disorders. The workplace context was the target of the eHealth intervention in seven studies, although the intervention was still delivered by health personnel such as therapists or occupational physicians. Collaboration on individual cases between the health professional, employer, and employee to facilitate work participation seemed to be rare. Four studies reported both a theoretical and an empirical base for the intervention used. Conclusions: This review demonstrated that the use of eHealth interventions to facilitate work participation is limited, and there is a need for future studies on the use of eHealth technology for this purpose. Developing eHealth interventions specifically for populations at risk of long-term...

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“…Musculoskeletal disorders and stress-related ill health are seen as the most important reasons for LTSA (8,9). However, the etiology of SA is often multifactorial which makes it difficult to comprehend and requires a holistic understanding (10)(11)(12). Many factors have been associated with an increased LTSA risk, for example, age, gender, lifestyle, poor health, SA records, physical workload, and psychosocial working conditions (10,(13)(14)(15).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Efficacy of an indicated prevention strategy on sickness absence and termination of the employment contract: a 5-year follow-up study

Klasen¹,

Amelsvoort²,

Jansen³

et al. 2021

Scand J Work Environ Health

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Objective: It was shown that an indicated prevention strategy (IPS), based on screening and early intervention, can considerably decrease future risk of long-term sickness absence (LTSA>28 days) over one year. Given the nature of the interventions, the potential of an effect extending beyond the original one year of follow-up might be present. This study aims to determine the efficacy of this IPS on LTSA and termination of employment contract over five years by extended follow up of IPS trials. Methods: Company records on sickness absence and termination of employment contract over five years were used from two randomized controlled trials (RCT) on the efficacy of the IPS (RCT I employees at high-risk for LTSA: intervention: N=263; RCT II high-risk employees with concurrent mild depressive complaints: intervention: N=139). Survival analysis was used to model time until the first LTSA episode and termination of employment contract. Results: RCT I showed a decrease of 43.2 days of sickness absence (P=0.05) and a lower 5-year risk of LTSA in the intervention, as compared to the control group [hazard ratio (HR) 0.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41–0.90], however no considerable impact on employment contract (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.54–1.35) (intention-to-treat, ITT). For RCT II, we found no large difference in days of SA and no difference in LTSA risk over five years (HR 1.31, 95% CI 0.70–2.47), whereas the risk of termination of the employment contract was lower (HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.39–0.99) (ITT). Conclusion: Effects of the IPS were observed over five years, albeit differential between the two approaches. A combination of elements of both interventions might lead to optimal results but needs further study.

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Effect of an eHealth Intervention to Reduce Sickness Absence Frequency Among Employees With Frequent Sickness Absence: Randomized Controlled Trial

Cited by 10 publications

References 52 publications

Exploring expected and perceived facilitators and barriers of an indicated prevention strategy to prevent future long-term sickness absence; a qualitative study among employers and employees

Exploring expected and perceived facilitators and barriers of an indicated prevention strategy to prevent future long-term sickness absence; a qualitative study among employers and employees

eHealth interventions to facilitate work participation: a scoping review

Efficacy of an indicated prevention strategy on sickness absence and termination of the employment contract: a 5-year follow-up study

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