Dataset Information

Respectful encounters and return to work: empirical study of long-term sick-listed patients' experiences of Swedish healthcare.

ABSTRACT: Aims To study long-term sick-listed patients' self-estimated ability to return to work after experiences of healthcare encounters that made them feel either respected or wronged. Methods A cross-sectional and questionnaire-based survey was used to study a sample of long-term sick-listed patients (n=5802 respondents). The survey included questions about positive and negative encounters as well as reactions to these encounters, such as 'feeling respected' and 'feeling wronged'. The questionnaire also included questions about the effects of these encounters on the patients' ability to return to work. Results Among patients who had experienced positive encounters, those who also felt respected (n=3327) demonstrated significantly improved self-estimated ability to return to work compared to those who did not feel respected (n=79) (62% (95% CI 60% to 64%) vs 34% (95% CI 28% to 40%)). Among patients with experiences of negative encounters, those who in addition felt wronged (n=993) claimed to be significantly more impeded from returning to work compared to those who did not feel wronged (n=410) (50% (95% CI 47% to 53%) vs 31% (95% CI 27% to 35%)). Conclusions The study indicates that positive encounters in healthcare combined with feeling respected significantly facilitate sickness absentees' self-estimated ability to return to work, while negative encounters combined with feeling wronged significantly impair it.

SUBMITTER: Lynoe N

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3211048 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Respectful encounters and return to work: empirical study of long-term sick-listed patients' experiences of Swedish healthcare.

Lynöe Niels N Wessel Maja M Olsson Daniel D Alexanderson Kristina K Helgesson Gert G

BMJ open 20110101 2

Aims To study long-term sick-listed patients' self-estimated ability to return to work after experiences of healthcare encounters that made them feel either respected or wronged. Methods A cross-sectional and questionnaire-based survey was used to study a sample of long-term sick-listed patients (n=5802 respondents). The survey included questions about positive and negative encounters as well as reactions to these encounters, such as 'feeling respected' and 'feeling wronged'. The questionnaire ...[more]

PMID: 22021890

Similar Datasets

Project description:OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the health-economic costs and benefits of a guided eHealth intervention (E-health module embedded in Collaborative Occupational healthcare (ECO)) encouraging sick-listed employees to a faster return to work. DESIGN:A two-armed cluster randomised trial with occupational physicians (OPs) (n=62), clustered and randomised by region into an experimental and a control group, to conduct a health-economic investment appraisal. Online self-reported data were collected from employees at baseline, after 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. SETTING:Occupational health care in the Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS:Employees from small-sized and medium-sized companies (?18 years), sick-listed between 4 and 26 weeks with (symptoms of) common mental disorders visiting their OP. INTERVENTIONS:In the intervention group, employees (N=131) received an eHealth module aimed at changing cognitions regarding return to work, while OPs were supported by a decision aid for treatment and referral options. Employees in the control condition (N=89) received usual sickness guidance. OUTCOMES MEASURES:Net benefits and return on investment based on absenteeism, presenteeism, health care use and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained. RESULTS:From the employer's perspective, the incremental net benefits were €3187 per employee over a single year, representing a return of investment of €11 per invested Euro, with a break-even point at 6 months. The economic case was also favourable from the employee's perspective, partly because of QALY health gains. The intervention was costing €234 per employee from a health service financier's perspective. The incremental net benefits from a social perspective were €4210. This amount dropped to €3559 in the sensitivity analysis trimming the 5% highest costs. CONCLUSIONS:The data suggest that the ECO intervention offers good value for money for virtually all stakeholders involved, because initial investments were more than recouped within a single year. The sometimes wide 95% CIs suggest that the costs and benefits are not always very precise estimates and real benefits could vary considerably. TRIAL REGISTRATION:NTR2108; Results.

Project description:Pain affects quality of life and can result in absence from work. Treatment and/or prevention strategies for musculoskeletal pain-related long-term sick leave are currently undertaken in several health sectors. Moreover, there are few evidence-based guidelines for such treatment and prevention. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of 'Tailored Physical Activity' or 'Chronic Pain Self-Management Program' for sick-listed citizens with pain in the back and/or the upper body.This protocol describes the design of a parallel randomised controlled trial on the efficacy of 'Tailored Physical Activity' or a 'Chronic Pain Self-management Program' versus a reference group for sick-listed citizens with complaints of pain in the back or upper body. Participants will have been absent from work due to sick-listing for 3 to 9 weeks at the time of recruitment. All interventions will be performed at the 'Health Care Center' in the Sonderborg Municipality, and a minimum of 138 participants will be randomised into one of the three groups.All participants will receive 'Health Guidance', a (1.5-hour) individualised dialogue focusing on improving ways of living, based on assessments of risk behavior, motivation for change, level of self-care and personal resources. In addition, the experimental groups will receive either 'Tailored Physical Activity' (three 50-minute sessions/week over 10 weeks) or 'Chronic Pain Self-Management Program' (2.5-hours per week over 6 weeks). The reference group will receive only 'Health Guidance'.The primary outcome is the participants' sick-listed status at 3 and 12 months after baseline. The co-primary outcome is the time it takes to return to work. In addition, secondary outcomes include anthropometric measurements, functional capacity and self-reported number of sick days, musculoskeletal symptoms, general health, work ability, physical capacity, kinesiophobia, physical functional status, interpersonal problems and mental disorders.There are few evidence-based interventions for rehabilitation programmes assisting people with musculoskeletal pain-related work absence. This study will compare outcomes of interventions on return to work in order to increase the knowledge of evidence-based rehabilitation of sick-listed citizens to prevent long-term sick-leave and facilitate return to work.The trial is registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01356784.

Project description:ObjectiveThe aim was to determine symptom patterns of depression, anxiety and stress-related mental disorders in newly sick listed due to common mental disorders in Swedish primary care patients and to examine associations with sick leave diagnosis, also in relation to socioeconomic, work-related and demographic factors.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingPrimary care in western Sweden.ParticipantsFrom a randomised controlled trial, patients aged 18-67, seeking primary care and on sick leave due to depression, anxiety and/or mental stress, in total 341 individuals, during 2018-2020.Primary outcome measuresPatterns of depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms measured via self-assessment questionnaires (Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale-Self (MADRS-S), General Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7), Karolinska Exhaustion Disorder Scale (KEDS)), sick leave diagnosis, perception of Work Ability Index and job strain via the job strain model.ResultsA combination of high levels of depressive and stress-related symptoms was more frequent than single symptom clusters among persons with common mental disorders (CMD) on sick leave: 7% of the patients had scores above cut-off for one of the instruments MADRS-S, GAD-7 and KEDS, 12% above cut-off for two and 80% had above cut-off for all three instruments. There was no significant association between low socioeconomic status, high-job strain or working in healthcare/education and having scores above cut-off level for two or more of the instruments. Only perception of own poor work ability showed association with having scores above cut-off level for all three of the assessment instruments of CMD (OR 9.45, 95% CI 2.41 to 37.04).ConclusionThe diagnosis on the sick certificate is not always congruent with the dominating symptom score level. In patients sick-leaved for CMDs, possible negative factors such as low socioeconomic status, low social support, high-work strain or working in healthcare/education sector did not show significant associations with self-assessment instruments of anxiety, depression and stress. Only patient's perception of own poor work ability was associated with high scores on all three domains.Trial registration numberNCT03250026.

Project description:BackgroundNorwegian general practitioners (GPs) are important stakeholders because they manage 80% of people on long-term sick-leave. Independent medical evaluation (IME) for long-term sick-listed patients is being evaluated in a large randomized controlled trial in one county in Norway in an effort to lower the national sick-leave rate (the NIME trial: Effect Evaluation of IME in Norway). The aim of the current study was to explore GPs' expectations of and experiences with IMEs.MethodsWe conducted three focus group interviews with a convenience sample of 14 GPs who had had 2-9 (mean 5) of their long-term sick-listed patients summoned to an IME. We asked them to recollect and describe their concrete expectations of and experiences with patients assigned to an IME. Systematic text condensation, a method for thematic cross-case analysis, was applied for analysis.ResultsTo care for and to reassure their assigned sick-listed patients, the participants had spent time and applied different strategies before their patients had attended an IME. The participants welcomed a second opinion from an experienced GP colleague as a way of obtaining constructive advice for further sick-leave measures and/or medical advice. However, they mainly described the IME reports in negative terms, as these were either too categorical or provided unusable advice for further follow-up of their sick-listed patients. The participants did not agree with the proposed routine use of IMEs but instead suggested that GPs should be able to select particularly challenging sick-listed patients for an IME, which should be performed by a peer.ConclusionOur participants showed positive attitudes towards second opinions but found the regular IMEs to be unsuitable. The participants did however welcome IMEs if they themselves could select particularly challenging patients for a mandatory second opinion by a peer but emphasized that IME-doctors should not be able to overrule a GP's sick-leave recommendation. These findings, together with other evaluations, will serve as a basis for the Norwegian government's decision on whether or not to implement IMEs for long-term sick-listed patients.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02524392 . Registered 23 June, 2015.

Dataset Information

Respectful encounters and return to work: empirical study of long-term sick-listed patients' experiences of Swedish healthcare.

Publications

Respectful encounters and return to work: empirical study of long-term sick-listed patients' experiences of Swedish healthcare.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets