"Fit for work and life": an innovative concept to improve health and work ability of employees, integrating prevention, therapy and rehabilitation
Objectives: To set up a comprehensive health programme for employees, with needs-based allocation to preventive and rehabilitative measures; and to evaluate the effects of the programme on work ability and sick leave. Design: Prospective single-group observational study. Methods: Employees of a univ...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Medical Journals Sweden
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: |
https://www.medicaljournals.se/jrm/content/html/10.2340/16501977-2822
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| _version_ | 1798018257681121280 |
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| author | Christoph Gutenbrunner Juliane Briest Christoph Egen Christian Sturm Jörg Schiller Kai G. Kahl Uwe Tegtbur Heike Fuhr Christoph Korallus |
| author_facet | Christoph Gutenbrunner Juliane Briest Christoph Egen Christian Sturm Jörg Schiller Kai G. Kahl Uwe Tegtbur Heike Fuhr Christoph Korallus |
| author_sort | Christoph Gutenbrunner |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: To set up a comprehensive health programme for employees, with needs-based allocation to preventive and rehabilitative measures; and to evaluate the effects of the programme on work ability and sick leave.
Design: Prospective single-group observational study.
Methods: Employees of a university hospital were invited to participate in needs-based interventions of preventive or rehabilitative character. Allocation followed screening questionnaires, anamnesis and clinical examination. The selection of a preventive or rehabilitative measure appropriate to the needs of the patient followed screening questionnaires, anamnesis and clinical examination. Preventive offers can include back training courses, water gymnastics or stress management exercises. Rehabilitative measures can include 3-6 weeks in- or outpatient rehabilitation or one week intensive outpatient rehabilitation. The main outcome parameters were work ability and sick leave duration.
Results: At this time of the project included 1,547 participants, who applied voluntarily to enter the programme. The mean age of participants was 44.3 years (standard deviation (SD) 10.3 years), and 72.0% were female. Needs-based allocation to a prevention (n=1,218) or a rehabilitation group (n=329) was effective, and enabled formation of 2 groups with different needs. Overall, more than half of the employees participating in the programme reported sick leave within the last 3 months. Participants in the preventive measures group reported significantly lower duration of sick leave than those in the rehabilitation group. Employees in the rehabilitation group had significantly lower work ability (Work Ability Index (WAI) 30.4 vs 36.6), but higher effects at 6-month follow-up (WAI 33.4 (standardized effect size (SES) 0.51) vs 37.9 (SES 0.17)). In the prevention group mean sick leave reduced significantly from 1.9 to 1.3 weeks (p < 0.001) during the previous 3-month period, whereas in the rehabilitation group it reduced from 2.7 to 1.5 (p < 0.001) weeks.
Conclusion: Implementation of the comprehensive health programme was successful, using the multimodal infrastructure of a university hospital. Allocation to suitable interventions in occupational health programmes following screening, anamnesis and clinical examination is an appropriate way to meet participants’ needs. The programme resulted in improved work ability and less sick leave. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T16:20:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-58eda1e1912f4ca2932d677ef5271fb8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1650-1977 1651-2081 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T16:20:55Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | Medical Journals Sweden |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-58eda1e1912f4ca2932d677ef5271fb82022-12-22T04:14:22ZengMedical Journals SwedenJournal of Rehabilitation Medicine1650-19771651-20812021-05-01535jrm0019910.2340/16501977-28222780"Fit for work and life": an innovative concept to improve health and work ability of employees, integrating prevention, therapy and rehabilitationChristoph Gutenbrunner0Juliane BriestChristoph EgenChristian SturmJörg SchillerKai G. KahlUwe TegtburHeike FuhrChristoph Korallus Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Coordination Centre for Rehabilitation Research, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, DE-30625 Hannover, Germany. Objectives: To set up a comprehensive health programme for employees, with needs-based allocation to preventive and rehabilitative measures; and to evaluate the effects of the programme on work ability and sick leave. Design: Prospective single-group observational study. Methods: Employees of a university hospital were invited to participate in needs-based interventions of preventive or rehabilitative character. Allocation followed screening questionnaires, anamnesis and clinical examination. The selection of a preventive or rehabilitative measure appropriate to the needs of the patient followed screening questionnaires, anamnesis and clinical examination. Preventive offers can include back training courses, water gymnastics or stress management exercises. Rehabilitative measures can include 3-6 weeks in- or outpatient rehabilitation or one week intensive outpatient rehabilitation. The main outcome parameters were work ability and sick leave duration. Results: At this time of the project included 1,547 participants, who applied voluntarily to enter the programme. The mean age of participants was 44.3 years (standard deviation (SD) 10.3 years), and 72.0% were female. Needs-based allocation to a prevention (n=1,218) or a rehabilitation group (n=329) was effective, and enabled formation of 2 groups with different needs. Overall, more than half of the employees participating in the programme reported sick leave within the last 3 months. Participants in the preventive measures group reported significantly lower duration of sick leave than those in the rehabilitation group. Employees in the rehabilitation group had significantly lower work ability (Work Ability Index (WAI) 30.4 vs 36.6), but higher effects at 6-month follow-up (WAI 33.4 (standardized effect size (SES) 0.51) vs 37.9 (SES 0.17)). In the prevention group mean sick leave reduced significantly from 1.9 to 1.3 weeks (p < 0.001) during the previous 3-month period, whereas in the rehabilitation group it reduced from 2.7 to 1.5 (p < 0.001) weeks. Conclusion: Implementation of the comprehensive health programme was successful, using the multimodal infrastructure of a university hospital. Allocation to suitable interventions in occupational health programmes following screening, anamnesis and clinical examination is an appropriate way to meet participants’ needs. The programme resulted in improved work ability and less sick leave. https://www.medicaljournals.se/jrm/content/html/10.2340/16501977-2822 vocational rehabilitation employment occupational health preventive health programme work-site intervention. |
| spellingShingle | Christoph Gutenbrunner Juliane Briest Christoph Egen Christian Sturm Jörg Schiller Kai G. Kahl Uwe Tegtbur Heike Fuhr Christoph Korallus "Fit for work and life": an innovative concept to improve health and work ability of employees, integrating prevention, therapy and rehabilitation Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine vocational rehabilitation employment occupational health preventive health programme work-site intervention. |
| title | "Fit for work and life": an innovative concept to improve health and work ability of employees, integrating prevention, therapy and rehabilitation |
| title_full | "Fit for work and life": an innovative concept to improve health and work ability of employees, integrating prevention, therapy and rehabilitation |
| title_fullStr | "Fit for work and life": an innovative concept to improve health and work ability of employees, integrating prevention, therapy and rehabilitation |
| title_full_unstemmed | "Fit for work and life": an innovative concept to improve health and work ability of employees, integrating prevention, therapy and rehabilitation |
| title_short | "Fit for work and life": an innovative concept to improve health and work ability of employees, integrating prevention, therapy and rehabilitation |
| title_sort | fit for work and life an innovative concept to improve health and work ability of employees integrating prevention therapy and rehabilitation |
| topic | vocational rehabilitation employment occupational health preventive health programme work-site intervention. |
| url |
https://www.medicaljournals.se/jrm/content/html/10.2340/16501977-2822
|
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