Barriers to return to work among persons unemployed due to arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders

Abstract

Objective. To identify barriers to return to work (RTW) among persons likely to be seen in a clinician's practice who are unemployed due to arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders.Methods. Two hundred eighteen persons unemployed due to arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders were interviewed at baseline and followed up for 1 year, at which time their work status was ascertained. Backward stepwise logistic regression was used to determine the association of baseline clinical, sociodemographic, and work-related factors to their work status at 1 year of Results. Fifty-one (24%) of 216 initially unemployed subjects had returned to permanent paid employment of 220 hourdweek after 1 year. Having rheumatoid arthritis, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) status, a high pain level, older age, and lower education were barriers to reemployment.Conclusion. This study establishes the importance of chronic pain and having rheumatoid arthritis as factors independently associated with failure to RTW among persons unemployed due to arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders. The importance of SSDI beneficiary status, age, and education level in RTW is further followup.

Common prognostic factors of work disability among employees with a chronic somatic disease: a systematic review of cohort studies

“…Straaton et al (37) No effect Return to work Reisine et al (41) Positive Work disability (32) No effect Return to work Caine et al (53) No effect Return to work New York Heart Association classification Angina class III or IV No evidence Engblom et al (49) No effect Return to work Mark et al (32) No effect Return to work Exercise test f Insufficient Sellier et al (33) No effect Return to work (continued) (31) No effect Return to work Mark et al (32) No effect Return to work Flexible work schedule Insufficient Earle et al (58) No effect Return to work Able to work fewer hours Insufficient Earle et al (58) No effect Return to work Allowed to change work tasks Insufficient Earle et al (58) No start of the study (inception cohort) are not always well defined and may change in the course of the follow-up study. On the basis of this finding, we decided to use one category (ie, IHD).…”

“…Some articles focused on return to work after a coronary artery bypass graft or a percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). In the best evidence synthesis, we considered using the categories "IHD with operation" and "IHD without operation", but we found that the diagnosis of the patients included at the (35) No effect Work disability Straaton et al (37) No effect Work disability Reisine et al (7/22) (25) No effect (Nashville/Jyväskylä) b Work disability Sokka et al (40) No effect Work disability Puolakka et al (24) No effect Work disability Straaton et al (37) Negative Return to work Albers et al (38) Negative (39) No effect Work disability Work disability Borg et al (43) No effect Work disability Work disability Puolakka et al (24) No effect (25) No effect (Nashville) b Work disability Chung et al (25) Positive ( (25) No effect (Nashville/Jyväskylä) b Work disability Ever/never methotrexate Weak (+) Chung et al (25) Positive (Jyväskylä) b Work disability Chung et al (25) No effect (Nashville) b…”

“…Ever/never used prednisone Weak (+) Chung et al (25) Positive (Jyväskylä) b Work disability Work disability Chung et al (25) No effect (Nashville) (24) No effect b Work disability Sokka et al (40) No effect Work disability Chung et al (25) No effect b Work disability Straaton et al (37) No effect Return to work (38) No effect Work disability Borg et al (43) No effect Work disability Fex et al (42) No effect Work disability Sokka et al (40) No effect Work disability Holte et al (57) No effect Work disability Married (only in women)…”

“…In employees with rheumatoid arthritis, various factors related to impaired body function or body structures have been found to be predictive of work disability. A moderate positive relation has been found between the presence of a rheumatoid factor (RF+) and work disability: four studies found a positive relation (35)(36)(37)(38) and four studies found no relation (24,25,(39)(40). The amount of deformed and swollen joints has been found to be a moderate positive prognostic factor for work disability: three studies found a positive relation between the amount of deformed joints and work disability (22,35,41), and four studies found no effect (7,24,26,42).…”

Work and sick leave among patients with early inflammatory joint conditions

“…Compared with the general population, the prevalence of paid employment is estimated to be 4 -28% lower in patients with longstanding RA, whereas the prevalence of (partial) disability pensions is 11-52% higher (1). Because only a small proportion of patients that lost employment succeeded in regaining a paid job, the prevention of work loss from the earliest phase of inflammatory joint conditions onward seems crucial (6).…”