Treating physicians' perceptions of barriers to return to work of their patients in Southern Ontario

The aim of this paper is to understand the treating physician's perspective with respect to the barriers that their patients face returning to work from injury and illness.

The methodology used was focus groups conducted in Southern Ontario with treating physicians.

The main barrier identified by the treating physicians in the return to work process was the lack of accommodated work. The main areas identified for the use of additional resources was facilitated investigations, assessments and treatments for their patients and education and training for treating physicians. With respect to communication, physicians indicated that they wanted to know more about the work to which their patients were returning.

Treating physicians believe that the most significant barriers for the timely return to work for their patients exist in the workplace, specifically related to lack of knowledge about appropriate modified work. The treating physicians' role in the return to work process is demanding due to insufficient time to deal with return to work issues, lack of training, not enough of the appropriate information and the treating physicians' role ambiguity.