Workplace Outcomes in Work-Disability Prevention Research: A Review with Recommendations for Future Research

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Rehabilitation Research
• Disability Management

Background:

• Outcome assessment is critical in work disability prevention research.
• Aligning business and scientific perspectives is essential for effective disability management.
• Longitudinal outcome assessment requires innovative approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• Identify salient workplace outcomes for work disability prevention.
• Evaluate congruence between business and scientific viewpoints on disability outcomes.
• Propose recommendations for enhancing outcome evaluation in this research area.

Main Methods:

• A year-long collaboration culminating in a conference on employer practices in disability prevention.
• Literature review, group discussions, and industry publication analysis.
• Feedback from researchers and employer experts informed the findings.

Main Results:

• Numerous workplace outcome measures were identified, varying by disability type.
• Type 1 (limited at work): productivity, presenteeism, limitations.
• Type 2 (off work): time off, interactions, RTW preparation.
• Type 3 (returned to work): presenteeism, RTW time, engagement, stigma, durable RTW.
• Type 4 (withdrawn): cost, vocational status.

Conclusions:

• Existing measures offer a foundation for consistent disability prevention outcomes.
• Increased employer stakeholder involvement and multilevel conceptualizations are beneficial.
• Future research should focus on refining and standardizing outcome measures.