Clinical Work-Integrating Care in Current Practice: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Clinical Medicine
• Healthcare Policy

Background:

• Clinical Work-Integrating Care (CWIC) involves addressing work participation within healthcare settings.
• Patients who are working may experience significant benefits from integrated care that considers their occupational roles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the extent and nature of CWIC provided by medical specialists.
• To identify policies and guidelines influencing or recommending CWIC provision by specialists.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review was performed, searching multiple databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Psychinfo, CINAHL, Web of Science) and gray literature.
• A meta-aggregative approach was used to define subcategories from qualitative data, followed by integration of quantitative findings.
• Policies and guidelines were analyzed separately using a narrative approach.

Main Results:

• Data collection on patient occupation varied significantly among specialists.
• Discussion of work was not routine but showed an increasing trend, aligning with recent policies.
• CWIC practices ranged from general advice to collaborative decision-making, often driven by legislation and sometimes involving multidisciplinary teams.

Conclusions:

• Medical specialists engage in diverse CWIC practices, from occupational assessment to in-depth patient and professional collaboration.
• The observed variability in CWIC practices may be attributed to the general absence of specific medical guidelines.