Protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled study of a multicomponent intervention to promote a sustainable return to work of workers on long-term sick leave — PROWORK: PROmoting a Sustainable and Healthy Return to WORK

Varela-Mato, Veronica; Godfree, Kate; Adem, Anwar; Blake, Holly; Bartle, Craig; Daly, Guy; Hassard, Juliet; Kneller, Richard; Meyer, Caroline; Russell, Sean; Marwaha, Steven; Kershaw, Charlotte; Newman, Kristina; Yarker, Joanna; Thomson, Louise; Munir, Fehmidah

Abstract

Background: The cost of sickness absence has major social, psychological and financial implications for individuals and organisations. Return-to-work (RTW) interventions that support good quality communication and contact with the workplace can reduce the length of sickness absence by between 15 and 30 days. However, initiatives promoting a sustainable return to work for workers with poor mental health on long-term sickness absence across small, medium and large enterprises (SMEs and LEs) are limited. This paper describes the protocol of a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) to test the feasibility of implementing a RTW intervention across SMEs and LEs across all sectors. Methods and design: A two-arm feasibility RCT with a 4-month intervention will be conducted in SMEs and LE enterprises from the Midlands region, UK. At least 8 organisations (4 controls and interventions), and at least 60 workers and/or managers, will be recruited and randomised into the intervention and control group (30 interventions, 30 controls). Workers on long-term sickness absence (LTSA) (between 8 and 50 days) and managers with a worker on LTSA will be eligible to participate. The intervention is a behavioural change programme, including a managers and workers RTW toolkit, focused on supporting sickness absence and RTW through the provision of knowledge, problem-solving, action planning, goal setting and positive communication that leads to a sustainable RTW. Organisations assigned to the control group will continue with their usual practice. Measurements of mental health, RTW, work outcomes, quality-of-life, workplace support and communication and other demographic data will be taken at baseline, 2 months and 4 months. Feasibility will be assessed based on recruitment, retention, attrition, completion of measures and intervention compliance for which specific process and research outcomes have been established. A process evaluation will explore the experiences and acceptability of the intervention components and evaluation measures. Exploratory economic evaluation will be conducted to further inform a definitive trial. Discussion: This is a novel intervention using a worker-manager approach to promote a sustainable return to work of workers on long-term sick leave due to poor mental wellbeing. If this intervention is shown to be feasible, the outcomes will inform a larger scale randomised control trial. Trial registration: ISRCTN90032009 (retrospectively registered, date registered 15th December 2020)

Citation

Varela-Mato, V., Godfree, K., Adem, A., Blake, H., Bartle, C., Daly, G., …Munir, F. (2022). Protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled study of a multicomponent intervention to promote a sustainable return to work of workers on long-term sick leave — PROWORK: PROmoting a Sustainable and Healthy Return to WORK. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 8(1), Article 188. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-022-01143-8

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 1, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Aug 19, 2022
• Publication Date: Aug 19, 2022
• Deposit Date: Aug 23, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 23, 2022
• Journal: Pilot and Feasibility Studies
• Electronic ISSN: 2055-5784
• Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: 188
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-022-01143-8
• Keywords: Study Protocol, Return to work, Long-term sickness absence, Mental health, Small and medium enterprises, Large enterprises, Positive communication, Worker, Manager, Intervention
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/10358076
• Publisher URL: https://pilotfeasibilitystudies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40814-022-01143-8
• Additional Information: Received: 28 February 2022; Accepted: 1 August 2022; First Online: 19 August 2022; : ; : The project has been granted ethical approval by the Loughborough University Ethical Advisory Committee (reference 2020-1889-2041). Workers and managers have provided written informed consent to participate in this study.; : Not applicable.; : The authors declare that they have no competing interests.