This Research Summary Page lists the most recent reviews under each heading,
click the headings to see all the research on that subject.
Research is chosen for review based on the quality of the evidence and its practical
value in return to work.
Requests to undertake reviews of research on particular subjects are welcome.
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Changes to NSW workers' comp legislation had some interesting outcomes
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How effective are exercises in treating mechanical neck problems?
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Do fit people recover from whiplash more quickly?
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Employer attitudes influence RTW after a cancer diagnosis.
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What works when designing disability management programs in the workplace?
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A University of Wollongong survey shows employees with access to flexible working hours are in better shape than those working to a rigid roster.
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Researchers have found spinal manipulative therapy yields small improvements in chronic low back pain, but have questioned the cost-effectiveness of such practice.
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A major study from the Netherlands shows productivity can be improved by helping workers improve their lifestyles.
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A Netherlands study has produced a simple, efficient means for assessing the probable duration of low back pain.
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A UK study has concluded that regular yoga can improve workplace wellbeing and reduce employee stress.
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A Swedish study has highlighted the link between lacklustre organizational environments workplace and employee absenteeism.
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A Dutch study has shown that adherence to guidelines by physicians can help lead to earlier return to work outcomes.
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A University of Illinois study has raised doubts about whether the newest edition of the American Medical Association's guides for the evaluation of impairment are an improvement on existing practice.
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A survey of rehabilitation and return to work managers in Queensland has led to calls for greater professional development through mentoring and supervision.
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Researchers have developed an effective treatment for the vexing condition of Fibromyalgia through a detailed and prolonged exercise regimen.
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Disability is more likely if a patient worries about their illness.
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A new US study suggests that injured workers may have a better return to work outcome if they undergo pain coping skills training through a psychologist before surgery.
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A Chinese study into occupational therapy programs has shown promising signs of success for helping people with mental health issues join the workforce.
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Canadian Researchers have highlighted the lack of knowledge about the causes of abnormal and reduced sensations in the limbs of patients.
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A new study highlights the mains causes for return to work delays after an injury on the road.
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Ergonomic keyboards can help reduce the effects of recurrent arm pain in office workers.
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A Swedish study has shown that what doctors and employers will permit on medical certificates has changed over recent decades.
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Can certain employee values improve their happiness, absence rates and health?
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A study which looks at workplaces with flexible work practices and the rates of sickness infection as a result, suggests that flexible work places can reduce sickness absence.
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A study has shown that the less senior managers are involved, generally, the more likely they are to over-rate their workplaces, safety and health when compared to industry standards.
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A Danish study debunks the myth that managers are often more stressed than employees.
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Another study confirms the link between poor workplace culture, poorly defined roles, emotionally demanding work and high rates of sick leave.
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Positive workplace environments are necessary for workplace health programs to be successful.
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Poor management often leads to higher levels of employee stress and sickness.
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A Finnish study raises questions about previous associations between professional car driving and chronic lower back pain.
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A new study suggests therapeutic climbing may trump a standard exercise regime in treating lower back complaints.
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Reducing repetitive work is not the only option to consider when attempting to accommodate arm pain in the workplace. Smoking and perceived stress also influence outcomes.
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The UK's treating practitioners say that work is beneficial, but how do they actually behave when making recommendations about back problems?
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Do pre-employment medical examinations reduce sick leave? Are they value for money?
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A European study of an integrated care program for workers with long term back problems shows a return of $26 for every $1 invested.
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Danish researchers find that management approaches and levels of employee decision-making latitude exert considerable influence on sick leave. So who should you try and influence?
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When dealing with complex or ambiguous medical problems, only half of treating practitioners come to the same conclusions about RTW. Why is that, and what can you do about it?
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Who is more pessimistic about the impact of cancer on working life: cancer survivors or employers? And how might this pessimism affect return to work prospects?
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Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), graded exercise therapy (GET) and good planning get chronic fatigue sufferers back to work.
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Believing that you can cope with whatever life brings you has a positive impact on pain symptoms-and there are ways of assessing coping confidence at work.
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Different RTW players have different objectives. Research suggests that this knowledge can help you reduce paperwork. Whaaat? Read on!
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Research shows individuals with disabilities are more likely to engage in risky health behaviors, like smoking and drinking alcohol.
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A Swedish study finds that workers who have the option to work from home are 1.5 times less likely to take sick leave than those who must be in the office.
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Want healthy workers? A well designed workplace health program can help!
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What does the evidence say about the effectiveness of job coaching for people who cannot return to a job with their previous employer?
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Early contact with injured workers is good for RTW, right? Well that depends! It's not so much what you do as how you do it that makes a difference.
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This study looks at the cost-effectiveness AND health effectiveness of lumbar supports for home care workers with recurrent low back pain.
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Are steroid injections an effective way to treat acute back pain?
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Psychotherapies are an important but underutilized part of depression treatment
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Do fit people recover from whiplash more quickly?
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What prevents doctors from applying best clinical practice when issuing certificates for sick leave?
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Peer support helps put the pieces back together after workplace injury
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Drug and alcohol-free workplace education programs can provide necessary information for young workers on the health consequences of risky drinking.
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How do different countries' disability benefits and policies for occupational low back pain affect return to work rates?
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Do online physical activity programs work? And are cash incentives good for motivation?
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Pessimistic beliefs about back pain can prolong suffering and prevent proper treatment
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What are the barriers to effective management of depression in the workplace?
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Clinical principles for the use of antidepressants, and the effectiveness of other treatments in preventing relapse
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Psychosocial approaches to managing arthritis help sufferers make the most of medical care.
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This article explores some of the ways to manage and prevent major depression in the workplace.
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Knowing what psychosocial factors affect recovery from low back pain can help target employee interventions
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Chronic pain is a notoriously obstinate barrier to RTW. Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy the card we need to play?
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Neck pain is a common condition in workers, and psychosocial factors influence outcomes.
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Want healthy workers? A well designed workplace health program can help!
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Decisions made in occupational health care that follow the 5-step protocol of evidence based medicine have good outcomes for workers and employers.
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A short guide to depression busting in the workplace
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A comparison of the effectiveness of multidisciplinary rehabilitation and standard care in the treatment of neck and shoulder pain.
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How effective is individual patient education for people with low back pain?
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Changes in psychosocial aspects of work affect employee health and well-being
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Investigating obesity-related costs for employers.
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Knowing what psychosocial factors affect recovery from low back pain can help target employee interventions
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Management and supervisors overestimate the level of satifaction workers have in their jobs.
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Rotator cuff treatments that work...and a couple that don't!
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Less invasive treatments should be first port of call for low back pain.
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Better disability management programs can make a difference
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Are neurocognitive impairments being identified early enough, or at all, after critical illness?
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What puts men and women at risk of taking long term sick leave? This study explores the roles played by psychological distress and fatigue.
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On the job rehabilitation can improve outcomes for people with psychiatric disabilities.
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An evidence-based guide for managing depression-related occupational disability
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How do we diagnose and treat chronic pain?
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New research suggests that stress claims are not as big a mystery as employers tend to think...
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Teamwork is an art and a science. Learn to nurture it with style!
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Treatment with opioids delays return to work and prolongs symptoms
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What do supervisors think about multidisciplinary vocational rehabilitation programs?
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Training gives supervisors clarity and confidence; and clear, confident supervisors support RTW.
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Research shows that health improvement programs are both physically and financially successful.
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Workers care about support and respect in the workplace and notice whether health and safety are management priorities.
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And the causes.
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How to decide which job modifications are right for an injured worker.
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Lower back pain poses problems for supermarket workers, but chances are they won't tell
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Is the communication between patients with low back pain and clinicians effective? Or are we missing something...
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Advice for health professionals about the best attitudes for patients to adopt on the road to recovery.
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Evidence that disability management programs in the workplace do reduce the cost of work-related injury.
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We all know depression is a problem, but do we recognize depression when we see it?
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When looking at the factors which impact upon workplace productivity, we also need to look at the studies that assessed them.
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Productivity declines more when unwell people are at work rather than absent.
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A number of simple initiatives can have a positive impact on timely return to work and decrease costs.
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Clinicians are good at putting medical pieces of the patient-puzzle in place. What happens when they forget about psychosocial pieces?
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This study investigates the link between osteoarthritis in the facet joints of the spine and the presence of low back pain.
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How effective are exercises in treating mechanical neck problems?
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Clear goals and helpful tools ensure that workplace interventions pack a real punch
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A range of studies explore whether psychosocial factors contribute to the development of back pain
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What do people with different kinds of back pain believe about pain, and how do these beliefs impact recovery?
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How to maximize employee participation in workplace health promotion programs...
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Why a present worker is not always a good worker...
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Investigating these costs more thoroughly will enable employers to develop strategies for effectively reducing health costs
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Clinicians and leading researchers evaluate the effectiveness of early screening in preventing long-term disability in patients with back problems.
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The evidence is in: when employers join workers on the RTW journey, the sky's the limit!
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What psychological treatments work for post traumatic stress disorder?
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A web-based approach to managing stress and mood disorders
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Advice for health professionals about the best attitudes for patients to adopt on the road to recovery.
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Could a health promotion program really improve the health and driving safety of truck drivers?
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Psychotherapies are an important, but an underutilized part of depression treatment
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From the horses mouth: The competencies required for success
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Occupational health research IS relevant to policy development: but what kinds of research are best?
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A step-by-step guide for best practice diagnosis of back pain
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A mixed bag of workplace interventions have been trialled over the last 20 years. What works?
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A persons beliefs about back problems influence how they engage with treatment, so providing the right information is vital.
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People with chronic low back pain can lose their sense of control over life, a major demotivating factor
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Pessimistic beliefs about back pain can prolong suffering and prevent proper treatment
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Research shows that older workers CAN work overtime and remain productive
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Less invasive treatments should be first port of call for low back pain.
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What makes a good case manager?
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What does the research tell us about physical work and the impact on back pain?
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A range of studies explore whether psychosocial factors contribute to the development of back pain
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Researchers have developed a questionnaire to help identify when perceptions of injustice may be jeopardizing RTW.
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This study looks at the effect of preventive coaching on employees with psychosocial health complaints - and identifies some barriers to employee participation.
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While some doctors follow best practice guidelines for lower back pain, many get it wrong...
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The US demonstrates how over-treating back pain causes more pain.
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Employer reactions can determine RTW outcomes: making workers welcome matters
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Collaboration between mental health and employment agencies assists return to work, but how do we foster collaboration?
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In this battle of the lower back pain heavyweights, who comes out on top and why?
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Canadian researchers conclude that employees have the goods to make participatory ergonomics a success.
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Disability prevention researchers benefit from collaboration and communication in an innovative Canadian program
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Training clarifies and gives confidence.
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A look at the factors which predict psychosocial sick leave.
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Practitioners under-prescribe key effective treatments: Education, exercise and weight loss
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Job satisfaction and engagement both influence work attendance.
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Who falls in the anti-collaboration chasm when doctors and insurers have different ideas about what work ability involves?
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What makes some people more likely to participate in physical activity than others?
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An overview of whiplash injury
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A look at the workplace factors associated with repeat visits to back pain clinics
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Researchers examine the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating chronic low back pain.
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A review of the effectiveness of non-surgical treatments for chronic low back pain.
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Lower back pain poses problems for supermarket workers, but chances are they won't tell
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With harmonisation of the comp rules under discussion, it is a good time to look at and learn from the history of workers comp in Australia.
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Can workplace back safety education programs reduce the risk of back injuries and complications?
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Post-whiplash, fit people recover quickly and return to work promptly
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A range of studies assess personal factors and how they influence work-related back pain
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A 2 year study shows the continuing benefits of comprehensive rehab
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Psychological treatments that work!
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Identifying the needs of families caring for someone with a traumatic brain injury.
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Exercise, behavioral and multimodal programs: What works for RTW and why?
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Short and long term pain is common in the 18-25 year old age group
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Studies suggest that it is possible to identify workers at risk of developing psychological distress and intervene before productivity suffers!
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According to one study, only 52% of work related injury and illness gets reported
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An overview of the complex factors influencing the return to work of sick and injured employees, and recommendations as to how return to work strategies can be improved.
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Rotator cuff treatments that work...and a couple that don't!
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What can employers do to tackle the problem of job dissatisfaction?
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Returning to work after cancer treatment is difficult, but employers can make a difference
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"Comprehensive" equals "effective" when it comes to workplace health and well-being programs...
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Workplace flexibility is associated with better employee health
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Treatment with opioids delays return to work and prolongs symptoms
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Home exercise is a cheap and effective way to improve back pain
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The Model of Creative Ability may be a useful tool in return-to-work programs to assess and measure motivation.
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Know the facts about this common skin condition
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There is debate over how to classify sciatica and how common it is.
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A study looking at factors influencing the return to work and recovery of injured workers in California
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Brief, face-to-face education works best for chronic LBP rehabilitation
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Physical therapy for acute back pain is good in the short term, but education and movement bring long term benefits.
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The effect of good leadership
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There is a good business case for educating your workforce about depression
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Depression is the most significant contributor to reduced productivity
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Depression exacerbates and prolongs pain. What does this mean for the workplace?
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Understanding the causes of depression in the workplace
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Many self care coaches have no formal training. Does coaching the coaches improve performance?
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Education, behavioral change and support: Effective coaching methods to assist patients
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A short survey can help predict a worker's likelihood of returning to work after treatment for injury.
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Good organizational leadership reduces sick leave and disability
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If a sense of workplace control is linked to good health, how can it be fostered?
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Workplace health program shows reductions in total health costs and improvements in productivity.
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Contrary to expectations, sedentary workers are more likely than heavy workers to lead inactive lives
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Research shows that older workers CAN work overtime and remain productive
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Introducing the basics and explaining the terminology
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How obesity impacts the workplace
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Psychological distress, heavy lifting and fear of activity are better predictors of back pain than MRI scans.
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How to help patients adhere to treatment recommendations
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Lowering the costs of mental health problems for governments, employers, families and sufferers
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Understanding work and cost outcomes of overuse arm problems.
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A guide for managing depression-related occupational disability
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A web-based approach to managing stress and mood disorders
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Generic prognostic factors may assist primary care practitioners to identify those patients with musculoskeletal pain who are at risk of poor outcomes, regardless of the site of their pain.
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A clinical study has identified that the development and persistence of post-traumatic stress disorder following major trauma is not related to injury severity, but may be associated with factors such as blaming others for the accident and processes invol
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Intervention by nurse case managers during the first week, after onset of back pain, improves employees satisfaction with their employer and health care provider and reduces sick leave absences.
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Swedish general practitioners were interviewed to identify the barriers that prevented them from applying best clinical practice when issuing certificates for sick leave absences from work.
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Early intervention programs for lower back pain aim to keep workers in the workplace. How can you ensure that yours is a success?
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A Canadian study explores the relationship between neck pain and lost time claims.
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Safety incentive programs may reduce workplace injury rates but they can also cause under-reporting.
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This literature review examines some examples of the positive effects of participatory ergonomic (PE) intervention on improving worker's health.
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The best work disability programs are broader than return to work management. Improving the health of the workforce reduces absenteeism, compensation costs and improves productivity.
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Fibromyalgia can be managed through a combination of physical and psychological rehabilitation.
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There is more to chronic widespread pain, than pain itself.
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Psychosocial approaches to managing arthritis help sufferers make the most of medical care.
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Job satisfaction improves mental health. Task variety, co-workers, and general working conditions improve overall job satisfaction.
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Long term claimants commonly describe a system that is frustrating, does not consider their needs, and misses out on treating them as an individual.
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A look at barriers to return to work for those out of work for two years. Return to work after being off work for long periods is challenging and uncommon, understanding the barriers is vital.
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Shoulder problems are common. Having a standard system in place with the employee and supervisor as first line managers of the issue can streamline return to work.
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A sense of control over the situation improves return to work outcomes.
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The current understanding of the occurrence of multiple regional chronic pain syndromes is discussed and concludes more research is needed.
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A self-evaluation tool is described which may assist healthcare professionals to develop self-resilience and equip them to identify, prioritize and achieve personal and professional goals.
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This follow-up study examined the relationship between the after-hours physical activity of workers and their absences from work due to sick leave.
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Neck pain commonly follows a persistent or recurrent course. Between 60% to 80% of workers who report a sore neck at some point report they have a sore neck a year later. Workers who exercise do better, and white collar workers return to work sooner.
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The Task Force on Neck Pain was a major undertaking, seeking to review and summarize information on neck pain problems, treatments, and what can be done to improve neck pain outcomes.
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Neck pain is a common condition in workers and psychosocial factors influence outcomes.
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This study identified a range of factors that influence when workers with neck and low-back (spine-related) pain take extended sick leave.
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Return to work programs are more likely to have positive outcomes if participants have a stable relationship with a doctor who is attentive, empathetic, and provides good information about health and social options.
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People with musculoskeletal disorders and accompanying depression or anxiety have reduced levels of workforce participation. Tailored return-to-work programs that offer more intensive and continuous levels of support may help.
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A review of the assessment of neurocognitive impairment in critically ill patients and the resultant long term impact.
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While Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a significantly debilitating and lengthy illness, there is evidence to suggest a return to work is possible after effective treatment. Medical retirement should not be considered too early.
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Based on the rationale that it is easier to keep a job than to find a new one, the new focus of vocational rehabilitation for workers with chronic conditions is empowering the worker to stay in their original position.
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Evidence suggests provision of an intensive one-on-one education session can improve the short and long term return to work outcomes for patients with acute and sub-acute lower back pain.
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A mixed bag of workplace interventions have been trialed over the last 20 years.
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Lessons learned from an integrated case management approach for arm problems
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It helps to know what they are going through
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There is solid research evidence that return to work management programs improve the bottom line.
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Evidence for and against common treatments for shoulder and elbow pain.
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In this battle of the lower back pain heavyweights, who comes out on top and why?
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If you feel you can cope with a difficult situation will you get back to work earlier?
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Advice for health professionals about the Little Engine That Could approach to recovery
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Management and supervisors overestimate the level of satisfaction workers have in their jobs.
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A recent review of the literature has identified the core competencies that are important for effective return-to-work coordination.
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