Sickness Absence Duration Across Twenty Different Pathologies: A Systematic Review.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Public Health
• Evidence Synthesis

Background:

• Sickness absence duration (SAD) data is fragmented across various pathologies.
• Healthcare practitioners (HCPs) and policymakers require structured information for informed decisions on work resumption and rehabilitation.
• A comprehensive literature synthesis on SAD is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and summarize existing literature on sickness absence duration (SAD) across twenty diverse pathologies.
• To support healthcare practitioners and policymakers in decision-making processes related to work resumption and rehabilitation.
• To identify gaps in the literature regarding SAD for various medical conditions.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review adhering to PRISMA guidelines, including scientific and gray literature.
• Selection of twenty pathologies based on work disability prevalence (musculoskeletal, neurologic, psychiatric, pulmonary, endocrine, gastro-intestinal, dermatological).
• Literature search across PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and relevant gray literature sources.

Main Results:

• Screened 4,826 scientific articles and 770 gray literature documents, including 69 studies.
• Provided guidelines for epicondylitis lateralis, hip prosthesis, and knee ligament injuries; no data for epilepsy, OCD, or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
• Reported SAD for 15 conditions, ranging from 1.04 days to 11.4 years, with a median of 24 days.

Conclusions:

• The study offers an overview of SAD data but lacks sufficient evidence for consensus or guideline development.
• Significant information gaps exist for SAD across many conditions.
• Future research should focus on establishing reliable SAD data and developing peer-comparison feedback mechanisms for improved sick leave and return-to-work guidance.