How to strengthen the RTW process and collaboration between patients with chronic pain and their employers in interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation programs? Patients' experiences of the Demand and Ability Protocol

Abstract

Purpose: To explore how patients who participate in an interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation program (IPRP) experience a three-party meeting based on the Demand and Ability Protocol (DAP) to assist in return to work (RTW). The DAP is a employee and his/her immediate manager under the guidance of medical staff with knowledge of the patient's work requirements and his/her current functional ability.

Materials and methods: Data included 18 semi structured individual interviews with persons having chronic pain, who participated in a DAP-dialogue during their IPRP. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data.

Results: Four themes were identified: A structured dialogue facilitated new insights; the dialogue enabled employer participation; the facilitator enabled experiences of feeling safe during the dialogue; and the dialogue created a link between rehabilitation and work.

Conclusions: The DAP dialogue was experienced as a supportive measure for RTW where the employer naturally participated in IPRP. The structure of the dialogue supported concrete planning for workplace adaptations. Furthermore, the dialogue enabled a connection between rehabilitation and the activity of work in everyday life. The results reinforce the importance of including efforts close to the workplace in IPRP in order to facilitate rehabilitation outcomes related to RTW.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONA structured collaboration and dialogue between the employee, employer, and rehabilitation supports the RTW process.Collaboration between stakeholders is important and should be intertwined in IPRP to jointly facilitate the employee's RTW.Clarifying the work demands provides motivation for the RTW process.Healthcare professionals should collaborate with the workplace to promote employer participation.

Keywords: Rehabilitation; chronic pain; qualitative method; return to work; workplace.