Improved recording of work relatedness during patient consultations in occupational primary health care: a cluster randomized controlled trial using routine data
Open Access
- 12 March 2020
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Trials
- Vol. 21 (1), 1-8
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-020-4168-8
Abstract
Background Prolonging working careers is a key policy goal in ageing populations in Europe, but reaching this goal is complex. Occupational health services are in the best position to contribute towards prolonging working careers through preventing illnesses that cause work disability and early retirement. However, impacting on the trajectory between illness and work disability requires continuity of care and follow up, enabled through identifying patients at risk. We aimed to determine whether a combined educational and electronic reminder system in occupational health care could improve the recording and follow up of primary care visits made by patients at risk of work disability, and whether the system could impact on sickness absence rates. Methods This study is a pragmatic, cluster-randomized controlled trial using medical record data. Twenty-two Pihlajalinna Tyoterveys units were randomized into an intervention group receiving education and electronic reminders or a group receiving usual care through minimization methods. Patient consultation data were extracted from routine Pihlajalinna Tyoterveys patient registers from 2015 to 2017. In addition, process indicators were collected from the electronic system. Data were cleaned and analysed on an intention-to-treat basis using analysis of covariance. Results There was no significant difference between intervention and control units in terms of sickness absences of different duration. Process indicators suggested that there was a change in physicians' practice of recording patients' risk of work disability and work-relatedness of visits following the educational intervention. Conclusion Education with an electronic reminder can change physicians' practice, but long-term follow up is needed to determine whether this impacts on patients' sickness absences.Keywords
Other Versions
Funding Information
- European Social Fund (S20659)
This publication has 23 references indexed in Scilit:
- The Durations of Past Sickness Absences Predict Future Absence EpisodesJournal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2013
- On "Equation missing" -contractions in ordered metric spacesFixed Point Theory and Applications, 2012
- Job strain and the risk of disability pension due to musculoskeletal disorders, depression or coronary heart disease: a prospective cohort study of 69 842 employeesOccupational and Environmental Medicine, 2012
- Open-plan office noise: The susceptibility and suitability of different cognitive tasks for work in the presence of irrelevant speechNoise and Health, 2012
- Work-Related Primary Care in Occupational Health Physician’s PracticeJournal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 2011
- Primary care visits to occupational health physicians and nurses in FinlandScandinavian Journal of Public Health, 2011
- Explanations for gender differences in sickness absence: evidence from middle-aged municipal employees from FinlandOccupational and Environmental Medicine, 2008
- Structured Early Consultation with the Occupational Physician Reduces Sickness Absence Among Office Workers at High Risk for Long-Term Sickness Absence: a Randomized Controlled TrialJournal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 2008
- Predictors of disability pension over a 10-year period for men and womenScandinavian Journal of Public Health, 2007