eHealth interventions to facilitate work participation: a scoping review

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Health Informatics
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Rising demand for efficient healthcare services highlights eHealth's potential.
• eHealth offers a promising avenue for managing return-to-work processes for employees on sick leave.
• Assessing work outcomes is crucial for evaluating health service effectiveness, necessitating a map of current eHealth interventions for work participation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review identifying studies that combine eHealth and work participation concepts.
• To explore eHealth interventions for sick-listed employees across various diagnoses and settings.
• To map the existing research literature on eHealth interventions aimed at facilitating work participation.

Main Methods:

• Scoping review methodology applied to empirical studies (quantitative and qualitative).
• Inclusion criteria focused on eHealth interventions for employees (18-65 years) on sick leave, regardless of diagnosis or context.
• Searched multiple databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, etc.) for studies published between January 1, 2008, and August 21, 2020, in English.

Main Results:

• Fifteen studies were included, with most interventions being web-based (10) or telephone-based (4).
• Only eight studies addressed common sick leave diagnoses (e.g., mental, musculoskeletal disorders).
• Collaboration between health professionals, employers, and employees was rarely reported; only four studies had a clear theoretical and empirical basis.

Conclusions:

• The current application of eHealth interventions to facilitate work participation is limited.
• Future research should develop targeted eHealth interventions for at-risk populations and promote stakeholder collaboration.
• Enhanced eHealth strategies are needed to improve work participation for employees experiencing sick leave.