SynthesisScandinavian journal of work, environment & health2016
Effectiveness of very early workplace interventions to reduce sickness absence: a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.
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.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed.
- The work and vocational advice intervention for adults in full or part-time employment: a synopsis of the WAVE feasibility study and RCT.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2026Trial
- Effectiveness of Self-Assessment, TAilored Information, and Lifestyle Management for Cancer Patients' Returning to Work (START): A Multi-center, Randomized Controlled Trial.Cancer research and treatment · 2023Trial
- Occupational advice to help people return to work following lower limb arthroplasty: the OPAL intervention mapping study.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2020Trial
- Return-to-Work Experiences in Ontario Policing: Injured But Not Broken.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2024Article
- Design and development of a digital intervention for workplace stress and mental health (EMPOWER).Internet interventions · 2023Article
- Article
- A Systematic Review: Effectiveness of Interventions to De-escalate Workplace Violence against Nurses in Healthcare Settings.Safety and health at work · 2021Review
- Subgroups of Long-Term Sick-Listed Based on Prognostic Return to Work Factors Across Diagnoses: A Cross-Sectional Latent Class Analysis.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2021Article
- Process of Work Disability: From Determinants of Sickness Absence Trajectories to Disability Retirement in A Long-Term Follow-Up of Municipal Employees.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- A return-to-work intervention protocol directed at cancer patients (self-assessment, tailored information & lifestyle management for returning to work among cancer patients, START): A multi-center, randomized controlled trial.Contemporary clinical trials communications · 2020Article
- Are there differences in the return to work process for work-related psychological and musculoskeletal injuries? A longitudinal path analysis.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2020Article
- How Do Hospital Medical and Nursing Managers Perceive Work-Related Strain on Their Employees?International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Article
- Refusal to Take Sick Leave after Being Diagnosed with a Communicable Disease as an Estimate of the Phenomenon of Presenteeism in Poland.Medical principles and practice : international journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre · 2020Article
- Outcomes of an interdisciplinary work rehabilitation program.Work (Reading, Mass.) · 2019Article
- Refusal to take a sick leave as an estimate of the phenomenon of presenteeism in Poland.Oncotarget · 2018Article
- Systematic review of digital health interventions to support self-management of low back pain in the workplace.Digital healthReview
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveThe aim of this review was to investigate the effectiveness of workplace return-to-work (RTW) interventions delivered at very early stages (<15 days) of sickness absence (SA).
methodsA systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Health Management Information Consortium (HMIC), Cochrane library database, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsychInfo and Embase. Using pre-established criteria, independent pairs of researchers carried out the study selection, quality appraisal and data extraction. Workplace interventions before day 15 of SA, were included. Primary outcome measures included rates of and time until RTW, productivity loss, and recurrences of SA.
resultsWe found limited available evidence on the benefits of "very early" workplace interventions in terms of RTW after a SA episode compared to usual care. Only three randomized controlled trials classed as high or intermediate quality were identified. Early part-time sick leave together with appropriate job modifications led to a reduction in the duration and recurrence of SA. There is evidence of benefit of intervening during the first two weeks of SA for musculoskeletal disorders.
conclusionOur review has identified a lack of evidence from the literature at this time point to support "very early" intervention compared to usual care. The methodological design of the studies, notably the extent and timing of usual care provided and variable compliance/crossover between groups could however explain the lack of demonstrated benefit. Consensus is required on the definition of "early" and "very early" interventions, and further research is recommended to improve understanding of the factors influencing when and how best to intervene for maximum gain.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.