Effect of an e-health intervention to reduce sickness absence frequency among employees with frequent sickness absence: a randomized-controlled trial Effect of an e-health intervention to reduce sickness absence frequency among employees with frequent sickness absence: a randomized-controlled trial.
AbstractBackground: Frequent sickness absence (SA), i.e., ≥3 episodes of SA in one year, is a problem for employers and employees. A high percentage of employees who have had frequent SA in a prior year also have frequent SA in subsequent years: 39% in the first follow-up year and 61% within 4 years. Also, 19% have long-term SA in the first followup year and 50% within 4 years. We developed an e-health intervention, consisting of fully-automated feedback and advice, to use either as a stand-alone tool (EHI-only) or combined with consultation with an occupational physician (EHI-OP).Objective: To evaluate the effect of an e-health intervention, with or without additional OP consultation, to reduce SA frequency for employees with frequent SA, versus care as usual (CAU).
Method:This study was a three-armed randomized controlled trial. Employees with frequent SA received invitational letters, which were distributed by their employers. The follow-up period was 12 months. The primary outcome measure was register-based SA 1 frequency. Secondary outcome measures were register-based total SA days and selfassessed burn out, engagement and work ability. In a process evaluation 3 months after baseline, we examined adherence to the intervention and additional actions such as GP and OP visit, communication with the manager, and lifestyle change.Results: A total of 79 participants were included in the analyses, 20 in the EHI-only group, 30 in the EHI-OP group and 29 in the care as usual group (CAU). We found no significant difference in SA frequency between the groups at 1-year follow-up. SA frequency decreased in the EHI-only group from 3 (IQR 3-4) to 1 episode (IQR 0.3-2.8), in the EHI-OP group from 4 episodes ( IQR 3-5) to 3 episodes (IQR 1-4) and in the CAU group from 3 episodes (IQR 3-4) to 2 episodes (IQR 1-3). For secondary outcomes we found no significant differences between the intervention groups and the control group.The process evaluation showed that only 3 participants from the EHI-OP group visited the OP upon invitation.
Conclusion:Among employees with frequent SA we found the e-health intervention as a stand-alone tool to have no effect in reducing SA frequency. We also found no effect on the secondary outcome measures (total SA days, burn out, engagement and work ability).This may be due to low adherence to the intervention because of insufficient urgency to act. We cannot draw any conclusion on the effect of blended care (EHI-OP), i.e. the EHItool combined with an OP consultation, due to very low adherence to the OP consultation. An OP consultation could increase a sense of urgency and lead to more focus and appropriate support. Recent meta-analyses showed that blended care is often more effective than stand-alone e...