Abstract
Purpose Supervisors in the healthcare sector have the potential to contribute to disability prevention in injured employees. Published data on the evaluation of return to work (RTW) interventions aimed at direct supervisors are scarce. We sought to determine the effect of a brief audiovisual supervisor training module on supervisor RTW attitudes and knowledge. Methods A parallel-group study, using equal randomization, comparing the training module intervention to usual practice in healthcare supervisors at a quaternary care hospital was conducted. Differences between groups in changes in RTW attitude and knowledge survey question scores between baseline and 3 months were assessed using the Mann–Whitney U test. The Benjamini–Hochberg–Yekutieli procedure was used to control for false discovery rate and generate adjusted p values. Results Forty supervisors were allocated to the intervention group and 41 to the usual practice group. Attitude and knowledge scores for most questions improved between baseline and immediately after intervention administration. Comparing intervention (n = 33) and usual practice groups (n = 37), there was a trend toward greater increase between baseline and 3 months follow-up in agreement that the supervisor can manage the RTW process (U = 515, adjusted p value = 0.074) and in confidence that the supervisor can answer employees’ questions (U = 514, adjusted p value = 0.074) in the intervention group, although these findings were not statistically significant. Conclusions The training intervention may have provided the initial tools for supervisors to navigate the RTW process in collaboration with others in the RTW community of practice. A larger study with longer follow-up is needed to confirm results.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Michael Oberg, Lisa Hart, Jennifer Krenz, Shari Spung, Pam Nathan, Linda Chihara, Wendy Winslow-Nason, Elena Williams, Paula Minton-Foltz, Elise Chayet, Pam Jorgenson, Pranika Laing, Julie Newnam, Lynn Diaz, Kathy Maher, and Jon Reynolds for their contributions. This work is dedicated to Jon Reynolds (1968–2015).
Funding Source
Funding and support for this project has been provided by the State of Washington, Department of Labor and Industries, Safety and Health Investment Projects (Grant Number 2012RH00198).
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June T. Spector and Nicholas K. Reul have contributed equally.
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Spector, J.T., Reul, N.K. Promoting Early, Safe Return to Work in Injured Employees: A Randomized Trial of a Supervisor Training Intervention in a Healthcare Setting. J Occup Rehabil 27, 70–81 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-016-9633-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-016-9633-6