Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation最新文献

{"title":"Effectiveness of the Participatory Approach on Return-to-Work of Sick-Listed Workers: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.","authors":"Allard W de Smalen, Jantine M Maarleveld, George Burchell, Maaike A Huysmans, Trees T Juurlink, Aartjan T F Beekman, Johannes R Anema, Roosmarijn M C Schelvis","doi":"10.1007/s10926-026-10410-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-026-10410-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To synthesize the evidence regarding the effectiveness of the participatory approach (PA) on return to work (RTW) of sick-listed workers compared to usual care and other interventions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines, searching five databases for evidence from their inception until February 2025. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they included sick-listed workers, conducted a PA intervention at the workplace focused on RTW, and included a comparison group. Data on RTW, health, and economic outcomes were extracted, and the quality of the studies was appraised. Data on time until full and lasting RTW were pooled, and a meta-analysis was conducted, followed by an assessment of the certainty of the evidence.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Eight randomized controlled trials reported across 14 papers were included. Half of the studies had a good quality score, whereas the remaining studies were considered of poor (n = 3) or fair (n = 1) quality. While no significant overall effect of the PA on time until full and lasting RTW was found, a statistically significant effect in favor of the PA was observed among sick-listed workers with low back pain (LBP) compared to control conditions.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The evidence provides moderate certainty that the PA is effective in reducing time to full and lasting RTW for sick-listed workers with LBP compared to usual care. However, for workers sick-listed due to mental health conditions or mixed health complaints, the evidence does not support its effectiveness, and the certainty of this evidence is very low. More high-quality research and realist evaluations across different settings and populations are needed to strengthen the evidence on the PA as an RTW intervention and to explain its underlying working mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":48035,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148279322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Barriers and Facilitators of Career Development among Employees with Disabilities: A Global Scoping Review.","authors":"Suryadi Tandiayuk, Seger Handoyo, Wiwin Hendriani","doi":"10.1007/s10926-026-10417-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-026-10417-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Promoting equal career opportunities for employees with disabilities is a key component of workplace inclusion and vocational rehabilitation. However, employees with disabilities continue to face unique challenges in their career development. Identifying both barriers and facilitators is essential to guide organizational practices and policy.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>This scoping review was conducted using the Population, Concept, and Context (PCC) framework and reported in accordance with the PRISMA extension for scoping review guidelines. Systematic searches were conducted across the Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, EBSCO, PubMed, Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, and IEEE Xplore databases. Studies were eligible if they examined factors influencing the career development of employees with disabilities in organizational settings.</p><p><strong>Result: </strong>From 2781 references extracted, 10 studies were selected. The synthesis revealed barriers and facilitators across three domain: (1) individual factors (e.g., career self-management); (2) group-level factors (e.g., support system); (3) organizational factors (e.g., workplace accommodation); and (4) family (e.g., family advocacy and expectation).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This review highlights the multidimensional nature of career development for employees with disabilities. By categorizing the influencing factors into individual, group, family, and organizational levels, the findings provide a foundation for future research and practical strategies to promote inclusive career advancement.</p>","PeriodicalId":48035,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148266488","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Work Disability and Rehabilitation in Workers with Hearing Loss: A Scoping Review.","authors":"Trishna Chauhan, Dialechti Tsimpida","doi":"10.1007/s10926-026-10415-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-026-10415-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>As organisations increasingly prioritise inclusive employment, more people with disabilities are entering the workforce. Hearing loss, a common yet often invisible disability, presents a significant and under-recognised occupational health challenge. This scoping review synthesises evidence on how individuals with hearing loss navigate workplace demands and examines the implications for occupational health policy and practice.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A scoping review of literature published between 2010 and 2025 was conducted following PRISMA-ScR guidance. Systematic searches were completed across Scopus, PubMed/MEDLINE, and Web of Science to identify studies examining hearing loss in relation to work participation and occupational health outcomes. Eligible studies were synthesised using thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thirty-four studies met inclusion criteria across diverse countries and occupational settings. Four interrelated themes were identified: (1) individual strategies for managing hearing loss at work, including communication approaches and decisions around disclosure; (2) workplace accommodations, encompassing technological and environmental supports, training and organisational initiatives, and social connectedness, alongside persistent gaps between policy intent and practice; (3) occupational health and wellbeing outcomes, including psychosocial impacts, work-related fatigue, need for recovery, identity negotiation, and occupational stress; and (4) multi-level recommendations addressing individual, organisational, and policy domains to support sustainable employment.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Hearing loss in the workplace presents substantial occupational health implications, including psychosocial stress, communication barriers, and increased need for recovery after work. Workplace accommodations show potential to support inclusion and improve health outcomes, yet implementation remains inconsistent. Further research is needed to rigorously evaluate occupational health interventions and accommodations, particularly within low- and middle-income contexts where evidence is limited.</p>","PeriodicalId":48035,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148220333","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mapping Employability Assessments for Adults with Limitations of Functioning: A Scoping Review.","authors":"Alexandra Lecours, Roxanne Bédard-Mercier","doi":"10.1007/s10926-026-10418-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-026-10418-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Work is a fundamental life domain, providing income, social engagement, and a sense of identity. Despite evidence that employment can support recovery, rehabilitation, and well-being, adults with limitations of functioning continue to face barriers to labor market participation. Employability assessments are central for access to vocational services, income support, and workplace accommodations, yet little is known about how these assessments are conducted across contexts. This study aimed to explore practices used in assessing employability among individuals with limitations of functioning.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A structured four-step scoping review drew on scientific and grey literature published since 2005 in English or French. It systematically identified, selected, analyzed, and extracted evidence on employability assessment among adults with functional limitations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The review identified 37 documents, revealing variation in assessment objectives, models, content, and methods. Assessments address individual factors (e.g., health, skills), environmental contexts (e.g., workplace, institutional settings), and activities and participation (e.g., job tasks, daily living). Data collection relies on interviews, observations, and standardized tools, often combined. Key challenges include overreliance on medical information, variability across assessors, administrative constraints, and assessment-related burden.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study identifies key components documented in employability assessments and highlights variation in assessment objectives and approaches, from standardized procedures to professional judgment, shaped by broader social and political contexts. These findings underscore the need for more reflective assessment practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":48035,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148220385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparing the Effectiveness of Digital and Conventional Rehabilitation Aftercare on Work Ability in Orthopedic Patients: A Longitudinal Study in Germany.","authors":"Detlef Schmidt, Jakob Hedin, Anna Pelegrina, Susanne Weyland, Lena-Marie Rittmann, Darko Jekauc","doi":"10.1007/s10926-025-10284-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10926-025-10284-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The primary aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of digital rehabilitation aftercare (digIRENA) with conventional rehabilitation aftercare (IRENA) and a control group without organized aftercare in improving work ability among orthopedic patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 1056 orthopedic rehabilitation patients were recruited from multiple rehabilitation clinics in Germany and randomly assigned to three groups: digIRENA (n = 405), IRENA (n = 352), or a control group (n = 299). Work ability was assessed using the short version of the Work Ability Index at four time points: baseline, 13, 26, and 43 weeks post-baseline. Repeated-measures ANOVA was conducted to examine longitudinal trends in work ability, with additional analyses to assess the impact of age, gender, and employment status on outcomes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Work ability improved significantly over time in all three groups (F = 37.6, p < 0.01, η² = 0.045). In the unadjusted analysis, the interaction between time and group was significant (F = 2.2, p < 0.01, η² = 0.006), indicating a steeper initial improvement in the digIRENA group compared to IRENA and control. However, when adjusting for age, gender, and employment status, this difference was no longer significant, suggesting that selection bias and baseline differences explain the unadjusted group effect. Across all groups, younger and unemployed participants showed greater improvements in work ability.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In unadjusted comparisons, digital aftercare showed a steeper initial improvement in work ability. However, once key sociodemographic factors were controlled for, these group differences disappeared.</p>","PeriodicalId":48035,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation","volume":" ","pages":"456-469"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13099794/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143721965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Realising the Case Management Ideal in Multi-organisational Coordination Work to Support Work Ability and (Re)employment in Finland.","authors":"Pirjo Juvonen-Posti, Nina Nevala, Simo Kaleva","doi":"10.1007/s10926-025-10274-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10926-025-10274-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Inclusivity policies can positively impact labour shortages. The ideal approach to work ability services has shifted from being system centred to being individually tailored and human centred. Service systems are complex in many countries and case managers, referred to here as coordinators, play a key role in achieving the human-centred goal of increasing labour force participation. However, the literature on the practices of these coordinators and their distinct roles in supporting work ability and (re)employment and the contexts in which they do so is limited. This study aimed to clarify what these coordinators do and to explore the extent to which coordinating work meets the ideal of individualised support in different operating contexts.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The design was a mixed-method study, which utilised two data sources to answer the same complex questions. It consisted of surveys, and in-depth interviews that were based on its results. A total of 241 professionals from various services responded to these surveys, and 15 volunteers were interviewed. The questionnaire data were analysed using descriptive statistical methods, whereas the interviews were examined using thematic analysis. After this, the data were integrated according to a multi-level context framework.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Initially, the coordinators from different sectors shared similar human-oriented values and ways of working. However, crossing administrative and organisational boundaries proved difficult, even though this was essential for the continuity of the client's process. As a result, ideal case management was not fully achieved.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The findings highlight a necessity for joint policies and practices, and organisational engagement to long-term collaboration.</p>","PeriodicalId":48035,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation","volume":" ","pages":"394-406"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13100016/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143460121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Managers' Use of Organizational Resources when Supporting Employees with Common Mental Disorders: A Swedish Qualitative Study.","authors":"Ellinor Tengelin, Lisa Björk, Linda Corin, Gunnel Hensing, Carin Staland-Nyman, Christian Ståhl, Monica Bertilsson","doi":"10.1007/s10926-025-10293-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10926-025-10293-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Among the diverse tasks of managers, handling employees with common mental disorders (CMDs) is perceived as particularly challenging. Little is known about the organizational resources that managers use in these situations. The aim of this study was to explore the organizational resources that managers use when handling employees with CMDs and how they experience their use.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An interview study inspired by the critical incident technique was designed. Swedish managers (n = 35) were recruited if they were managers in a private company with at least 50 employees and had experience supporting one or more employees with a CMD in the last 2 years. An incident was defined as a situation when a manager needed to support an employee with a CMD.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The analysis revealed managers' use of seven kinds of resources, and how the resource helped or hindered support to employees: (1) routines and structures; (2) frames for action; (3) training and education; (4) expert functions; (5) safety representatives from worker unions; (6) social support from colleagues and management; (7) interaction with employees. Secondary findings were personal and external resources, widening the study's organizational focus.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study is one of the first to explore managers' real-life experiences of the support available in their organization when managing employees with CMDs. Managers' experiences may help organizations provide structures for the management of individual cases of CMD at work. Resources flexible to the needs of managers in specific situations were experienced as supportive by participants in this study.</p>","PeriodicalId":48035,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation","volume":" ","pages":"517-533"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13099842/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144057678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Healthcare Professionals' Experiences with Vocational Rehabilitation for People with Inflammatory Arthritis.","authors":"Anne-Birgitte Madsen, Jette Primdahl, Jeanette Reffstrup Christensen, Ann Bremander, Christina Merete Tvede Madsen","doi":"10.1007/s10926-025-10297-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10926-025-10297-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To explore healthcare professionals' (HPs') experiences of work-related challenges among people with inflammatory arthritis (IA).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A qualitative, interview study using a hermeneutic approach was planned. HPs with different professional backgrounds working with people with rheumatic diseases were recruited. An interview guide was developed according to relevant literature. The analysis followed Graneheim and Lundman's qualitative content analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twenty-one HPs representing two municipalities, three hospitals, a university college and one patient organisation participated in individual semi-structured interviews. The analysis derived three themes: (1) Work identity and living with IA. The disease causes emotional and economic effects regarding fulfilling roles in everyday life, including work; (2) Opportunities and challenges when supporting patients. Promoting and inhibiting factors that affect retention in the labour market include organisational factors at work, opportunities for involving the patient's relatives and working interprofessionally and cross-sectorally; and (3) Cooperation with employers. People with IA use different strategies and opportunities for compensatory schemes to maintain work. Cooperation with employers is an important part of vocational rehabilitation.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>HPs experience that people with IA find it difficult to manage their everyday life, including work. HPs want to support people with IA to maintain their jobs but find it difficult if the patient has not informed the employer about the disease. This study clarifies the need for vocational rehabilitation to support people with IA to stay in work, from time of diagnosis through hospitalisation, municipal rehabilitation and job clarification.</p>","PeriodicalId":48035,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation","volume":" ","pages":"561-569"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13099797/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143990854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Implementing the GUideline for Intervention DEscription in Rehabilitation (GUIDE-Rehab) Within Work Disability Prevention Research.","authors":"Douglas P Gross, Patricia A Findley, Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia, Vicki L Kristman, Pierre Côté, John Whyte, Stefano Negrini","doi":"10.1007/s10926-026-10368-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10926-026-10368-w","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48035,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation","volume":" ","pages":"371-372"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146158584","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Shortened Upper Extremity Functional Capacity Evaluation for Patients with Complaints of Hand, Wrist, Forearm, and Elbow: Composition and Assessment of Construct Validity and Test-Retest Reliability.","authors":"Redmar J Berduszek, Rienk Dekker, Corry K van der Sluis, Michiel F Reneman","doi":"10.1007/s10926-025-10298-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10926-025-10298-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Upper extremity functional capacity evaluation (UE-FCE) contains tests covering aspects of upper extremity functioning. UE-FCE tests usually consist of multiple repeated trials. Shortened UE-FCEs with less trials per test have been proposed but never tested in patients. The aims of this study were (1) to compose a shortened UE-FCE (fewer trials per test) and (2) to assess construct validity and test-retest reliability when applied in patients with nontraumatic musculoskeletal complaints of the hand, wrist, forearm, and elbow.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Participants performed a UE-FCE, with original full-length tests, twice (1 to 3 weeks apart). A shortened UE-FCE, with fewer trials per test, was composed based on the agreement (ICC ≥ 0.90) between shortened and original UE-FCE tests. Consequently, construct validity and test-retest reliability of the shortened UE-FCE tests were assessed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>UE-FCEs were performed by 45 participants. The proposed shortened UE-FCE included one-trial tests for hand grip and finger strength (instead of three-trial tests), two-trial tests for fingertip and hand/forearm dexterity (instead of three-trial and four-trial tests, respectively). Overhead lifting and working tests were already one-trial tests and remain unchanged. Construct validity was demonstrated for hand grip strength of the left hand, overhead lifting, and overhead working, but not for hand grip strength of the right hand, finger strength, fingertip dexterity and hand and forearm dexterity. Test-retest reliability was above 0.70 for all tests, except for fingertip dexterity of the dominant hand (0.59).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The shortened UE-FCE with fewer trials per test agreed strongly with the original UE-FCE. Using the shortened UE-FCE could save 18 min. Construct validity differed per UE-FCE test. Test-retest reliability was sufficient for all UE-FCE tests except fingertip dexterity of the dominant hand.</p>","PeriodicalId":48035,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation","volume":" ","pages":"570-579"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13099714/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144095642","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}