Cooperation of return-to-work professionals: the challenges of multi-actor work disability management

Abstract

The article argues for the importance of systematic networking and stresses the role of public employment services in the multi-actor management of work disabilities. The article contributes to existing work disability case management models by suggesting the employment administration system as an important component in addition to health care, workplace and insurance systems. The study also highlights the need for expansion of expertise in the field. Implications for Rehabilitation Cooperation between RTW professionals in public employment offices and other organizations involved in work disability management was considered inadequate. In order to improve the cooperation of RTW professionals, the stakeholders need to create more systematic ways of communication and networking with professionals in other organizations. There is a need to expand the expertise in work disability management and rehabilitation, partly by increasing the role of other professionals than physicians.

Usefulness and feasibility of comprehensive and less comprehensive vocational rehabilitation for patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain: perspectives from patients, professionals, and managers

“…This number of interviews is sufficient and is comparable with other qualitative studies [37][38][39][40]. In the present study, data saturation of each stakeholder group was reached, which strengthens the findings and implications.…”

Coordination of return-to-work for employees on sick leave due to common mental disorders: facilitators and barriers

“…These include personal, legislative, insurance, workplace and health care systems [7]. Challenges to the integration of RTW services between stakeholders are well documented in international [8,9] and Swedish research [10,11]. As a response to this, coordination of RTW is increasingly recognised and included in private initiatives or policy changes [12][13][14][15][16][17][18].…”

Implementing a Stratified Vocational Advice Intervention for People on Sick Leave with Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Multimethod Process Evaluation

“…In the SWAP trial the physiotherapists were located in GP practices and collaborated with the GPs [ 11 , 24 ], however they had few contacts with employers and only attended one workplace meeting [ 11 ]. Communication between RTW stakeholders can be challenging [ 4 , 32 – 34 ], and many of the barriers described by the SVAI physiotherapists are commonly experienced in vocational rehabilitation [ 32 , 35 ]. Information from the mentoring minutes showed that the SVAI physiotherapists did not have confidence to contact employers, because they did not feel that they were in a position to discuss workplace modifications.…”