Development of the core of an ICF-based instrument for the assessment of work capacity and guidance in return to work of employees on sick leave: a multidisciplinary modified Delphi study

BMC Public Health

Research

Johannes R. Anema¹  Astrid de Wind²  Sylvia J. van der Burg-Vermeulen²  Birgit H. P. M. Donker-Cools³  Clare H. Luymes³  Frederieke G. Schaafsma³  Lyanne Jansen³  Shirley Oomens⁴ 

[1] Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Societal Participation and Health, Amsterdam, the Netherlands;Research Center for Insurance Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands;Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam, the Netherlands;Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam, the Netherlands;Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Societal Participation and Health, Amsterdam, the Netherlands;Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam, the Netherlands;Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Societal Participation and Health, Amsterdam, the Netherlands;Research Center for Insurance Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands;HAN University of Applied Sciences, Occupation and health research group, Arnhem, the Netherlands;Radboudumc, Department of Primary and Community Care, Nijmegen School of Occupational Health, Nijmegen, the Netherlands;

关键词: Delphi technique;    Disability;    Return to work;    Sick leave;    Work capacity;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12889-022-14653-0

 received in 2022-07-07, accepted in 2022-11-16,  发布年份 2022

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundSeveral occupational health disciplines are involved in return to work guidance, implying that good interdisciplinary collaboration is important. A shared conceptual framework and a common language for the assessment of work capacity and guidance in return to work is expected to be at the benefit of appropriate and sustainable employability of sick employees. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) can be considered a shared conceptual framework and is also promising in terms of a common language. The purpose of the current study is to reach multidisciplinary consensus among occupational health professionals on the content of an ICF-based instrument for the assessment of work capacity and guidance in return to work.MethodsTo obtain multidisciplinary consensus we conducted a modified Delphi study among twelve occupational health experts, including four occupational physicians, four insurance physicians and four labour experts. The study included two e-mail rounds and two virtual meetings. In the consecutive rounds the experts assessed ICF items as well as a list of non-ICF-based work-related environmental factors on their relevance for the assessment of the work capacity and guidance in return to work together with their interpretability.ResultsThe four consecutive Delphi rounds resulted in 20 items that are minimally needed for the assessment of the work capacity and return to work possibilities of employees on sick leave. The final list included six items on personal functioning, seven items on social functioning and seven items on physical functioning.ConclusionsThis set of items forms the core of an ICF-based instrument, which is expected to facilitate interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary communication because of the use of a shared conceptual framework. As such, it should be of help in the guidance in return to work of employees on sick leave and contribute to appropriate and sustainable employability.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2022

【 图 表 】

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