MANAGE AT WORK: Addressing the Challenge of Chronic Physical Health Conditions in the Workplace

NCT01978392 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: LMRIS 11-08LMRIS Project 11-08
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 122
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 4

Brief Summary

The specific aim of the study is to evaluate the health benefits of a series of group workshops designed for workers with chronic physical health conditions. The facilitated workshops apply principles of pain and illness self-management to help workers deal with health-related challenges while at work. The workshops address issues of pain management, physical job demands, pacing of work, communication, problem solving, and coping. Half of the participants in the study will be randomly assigned to attend workshop sessions (10 hours total), and all study participants will be followed for one year. The primary hypothesis is that workers who participate in these workshops will show improvements in work engagement and reductions in work limitation in the subsequent 12 months.

Conditions

Chronic Physical Health Conditions

Keywords

disability; self-management; chronic illness; chronic pain; occupation; > 6 months

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Work limitations

  The Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ)(Lerner et al., 2003) is a 25-item self-report questionnaire that assesses the degree to which working individuals are experiencing limitations on-the-job due to their health problems and health-related productivity loss. The WLQ asks respondents to rate their level of difficulty or ability to perform specific job demands. Items are grouped into 4 scales: (1) time management; (2) physical demands; (3) mental-interpersonal demands; and (4) output demands.

  One year

• Work engagement

  The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) (Demourati et al., 2001) is a 17-item self-report questionnaire that was designed to measure the degree to which employees have a sense of energetic and effective connection with their work activities (energy involvement) and see themselves as able to deal with the demands of their job (professional efficacy). Respondents rate their level of agreement with stated feelings about work on a 7-point likert scale from "never" to "always". Work engagement has been defined as a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption.

  One year

Secondary Outcomes (7)

• Work fatigue

  One year

• Turnover intention

  One year

• Job satisfaction

  One year

• Self-efficacy

  One year

• General health status

  One year

Study Arms (2)

Self-management group workshops

EXPERIMENTAL

Self-management group workshops: Participants randomized to the intervention arm will be asked to participate in group workshop sessions (10 hours total) led by a specially trained facilitator and provided over a span of approximately 2-3 months.

Behavioral: Self-management group workshops

No treament (wait-list control)

NO INTERVENTION

Wait-list control: Participants randomized to the control arm will receive no intervention during the one-year period of data collection, but they will be invited to attend a full-day Saturday workshop after all study data collection is complete). The intent of the full-day workshop will be to provide the same self-management information as in the intervention arm, but on a delayed basis and in a more condensed format.

Interventions

Self-management group workshops BEHAVIORAL

This intervention consists of multiple group workshop sessions (10 hours total) led by a specially trained facilitator and provided over a span of approximately 2-3 months. The intervention incorporates standard elements of existing evidence-based pain and illness self-management efforts, but tailoring key messages and discussion elements to apply to workplace problems most relevant to workers with chronic medical conditions. Each session is focused on different self-management strategies, with each session containing a mix of facilitator presentation, group discussion, case illustrations, role-play, completion of in-session self-assessments and activities, and brief homework assignments. Approximately equal time is allocated to the topics of improving comfort, modifying work, communicating effectively, applying systematic problem-solving strategies, and dealing with negative thoughts and emotions.

Self-management group workshops

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Workers with at least one chronic physical condition (\> 6 months).
• Working full time (at least 20 hours per week).
• Able to read and speak in English language.

You may not qualify if:

• Impending retirement or major career change (next 12 months).
• Not available to attend group workshops after working hours.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety: lead

Study Sites (4)

Employer #3 (confidential)

Worcester, Massachusetts, United States

Location

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Hanover, New Hampshire, 03755, United States

Location

Employer #4 (Confidential)

Hanover, New Hampshire, 03755, United States

Location

Employer #2 (confidential)

Providence, Rhode Island, United States

Location

Related Publications (5)

• Tveito TH, Shaw WS, Huang YH, Nicholas M, Wagner G. Managing pain in the workplace: a focus group study of challenges, strategies and what matters most to workers with low back pain. Disabil Rehabil. 2010;32(24):2035-45. doi: 10.3109/09638281003797398. Epub 2010 Sep 23.

  PMID: 20860528 BACKGROUND

• Shaw WS, Tveito TH, Geehern-Lavoie M, Huang YH, Nicholas MK, Reme SE, Wagner G, Pransky G. Adapting principles of chronic pain self-management to the workplace. Disabil Rehabil. 2012;34(8):694-703. doi: 10.3109/09638288.2011.615372. Epub 2011 Oct 17.

  PMID: 22004668 BACKGROUND

• Shaw WS, Tveito TH, Boot CR. Introduction to the special section: sustainability of work with chronic health conditions. J Occup Rehabil. 2013 Jun;23(2):157-61. doi: 10.1007/s10926-013-9448-7.

  PMID: 23625029 BACKGROUND

• Shaw WS, McLellan RK, Besen E, Namazi S, Nicholas MK, Dugan AG, Tveito TH. A Worksite Self-management Program for Workers with Chronic Health Conditions Improves Worker Engagement and Retention, but not Workplace Function. J Occup Rehabil. 2022 Mar;32(1):77-86. doi: 10.1007/s10926-021-09983-6. Epub 2021 May 13.

  PMID: 33983524 DERIVED

• Shaw WS, Besen E, Pransky G, Boot CR, Nicholas MK, McLellan RK, Tveito TH. Manage at work: a randomized, controlled trial of a self-management group intervention to overcome workplace challenges associated with chronic physical health conditions. BMC Public Health. 2014 May 28;14:515. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-515.

  PMID: 24885844 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Chronic Disease; Chronic Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Disease Attributes; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• William S Shaw, Ph.D.

  Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: INDUSTRY
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 1, 2013
• First Posted: November 7, 2013
• Study Start: November 1, 2013
• Primary Completion: May 31, 2017
• Study Completion: May 31, 2017
• Last Updated: June 2, 2017

Record last verified: 2017-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share

Locations

US (4)