Evidence map›Paper›PMID 21415023›Full record

SynthesisRheumatology (Oxford, England)2012

Effectiveness of community- and workplace-based interventions to manage musculoskeletal-related sickness absence and job loss: a systematic review.

Keith T Palmer, Elizabeth C Harris, Cathy Linaker, Mary Barker, Wendy Lawrence, Cyrus Cooper, David Coggon

Registry-linked trialAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Rheumatology (Oxford, England), 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT02980237 (Effectiveness of an e-Health Program at Workplace in the Promotion of Quality of Life of Office Workers), which is not on this map. Cited by 68 papers, 11 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
68citing papers in PubMed, 11 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT02980237 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2017, after this paper: background citation

Effectiveness of an e-Health Program at Workplace in the Promotion of Quality of Life of Office Workers: Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Trial by Cluster

TypeinterventionalSponsorRosimeire Simprini PadulaRan2017 to 2018Enrolled384ConditionsHealth BehaviorArmseHealth_additional support, eHealth_program
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

68 citing papers in PubMed, 11 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  6. Obstacles and Future Prospects: Considerations on Health Promotion Activities for Older Workers in Europe.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2018
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  17. Structured physiotherapy including a work place intervention for patients with neck and/or back pain in primary care: an economic evaluation.The European journal of health economics : HEPAC : health economics in prevention and care · 2019
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8 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Keith T PalmerMRC Epidemiology Lifecourse Unit, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, Hants SO16 6YD, UK. ktp@mrc.soton.ac.uk
Elizabeth C Harris
Cathy Linaker
Mary Barker
Wendy Lawrence
Cyrus Cooper
David Coggon

Funding

Arthritis Research UK COMMISSIONED SERVICES REF 2500.9Medical Research Council MC_UP_A620_1014Medical Research Council MC_UP_A620_1018
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo assess the effectiveness of interventions in community and workplace settings to reduce sickness absence and job loss in workers with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

methodsRelevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies, published since 1990, were identified by screening citations from 35 earlier systematic reviews and by searching MEDLINE and Embase until April 2010. Effects were estimated by intervention category and other features, including study quality.

resultsAmong 42 studies (including 34 RCTs), 27 assessed return to work (RTW), 21 duration of sickness absence and 5 job loss. Interventions included exercise therapy, behavioural change techniques, workplace adaptations and provision of additional services. Studies were typically small {median sample 107 [inter-quartile range (IQR) 77-148]} and limited in quality. Most interventions appeared beneficial: the median relative risk (RR) for RTW was 1.21 (IQR 1.00-1.60) and that for avoiding MSD-related job loss was 1.25 (IQR 1.06-1.71); the median reduction in sickness absence was 1.11 (IQR 0.32-3.20) days/month. However, effects were smaller in larger and better-quality studies, suggesting publication bias. No intervention was clearly superior, although effort-intensive interventions were less effective than simple ones. No cost-benefit analyses established statistically significant net economic benefits.

conclusionAs benefits are small and of doubtful cost-effectiveness, employers' practice should be guided by their value judgements about the uncertainties. Expensive interventions should be implemented only with rigorous cost-benefit evaluation planned from the outset. Future research should focus on the cost-effectiveness of simple, low-cost interventions, and further explore impacts on job retention.

Indexed as

AbsenteeismHealth PromotionSick LeaveDisability EvaluationHumansMusculoskeletal DiseasesResidence CharacteristicsTreatment OutcomeWorkplace

Identifiers

PMID21415023
PMCPMC3276837

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.