Reducing sick leave by minimal postal intervention: a randomised, controlled intervention study
Background: The lack of efficient medical interventions for combating increasing sickness absence rates has lead to the introduction of alternative measures initiated by the Norwegian National Insurance Service or at workplaces. Aim: To determine whether minimal postal intervention had any effect on...
Published in: | Occupational and Environmental Medicine |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
BMJ
2006
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/oem.2005.020438 https://syndication.highwire.org/content/doi/10.1136/oem.2005.020438 |
id |
crjcrbmj:10.1136/oem.2005.020438 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
crjcrbmj:10.1136/oem.2005.020438 2024-06-23T07:55:34+00:00 Reducing sick leave by minimal postal intervention: a randomised, controlled intervention study Fleten, N Johnsen, R 2006 http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/oem.2005.020438 https://syndication.highwire.org/content/doi/10.1136/oem.2005.020438 en eng BMJ Occupational and Environmental Medicine volume 63, issue 10, page 676-682 ISSN 1351-0711 1470-7926 journal-article 2006 crjcrbmj https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.2005.020438 2024-06-13T04:15:01Z Background: The lack of efficient medical interventions for combating increasing sickness absence rates has lead to the introduction of alternative measures initiated by the Norwegian National Insurance Service or at workplaces. Aim: To determine whether minimal postal intervention had any effect on the length of sick leave. Methods: Randomised, controlled trial with a one year follow up in Northern Norway in 1997 and 1998; 990 consecutive newly sick-listed persons with musculoskeletal or mental disorders were studied. Within the intervention group, 495 eligible sick-listed persons received a general information letter and a questionnaire as their sick leave passed 14 days. Possible intervention effects were analysed by survival analysis of the probability of returning to work within one year, and logistic regressions with benefits at one year as the dependent variable. Results: The overall reduction of 8.3 (95% CI −22.5 to 6.0) calendar days in mean length of sick leaves in the intervention group compared to controls, was not statistically significant. However, intervention significantly reduced length of sick leaves in subgroups with mental disorders, and with rheumatic disorders and arthritis, and overall for sick leaves lasting 12 weeks or more. Young people with low back pain showed an adverse effect to intervention. The overall relative risk of receiving benefits due to sickness after one year in the intervention group was 0.69 (95% CI 0.51 to 0.93) compared to controls. Conclusion: The results should encourage employers, insurance institutions, and authorities to initiate challenges as questions on the length of sick leave and possible modified work measures, during the first few weeks of sick leave, for at least some groups of sick-listed persons. Article in Journal/Newspaper Northern Norway The BMJ Norway Occupational and Environmental Medicine 63 10 676 682 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
The BMJ |
op_collection_id |
crjcrbmj |
language |
English |
description |
Background: The lack of efficient medical interventions for combating increasing sickness absence rates has lead to the introduction of alternative measures initiated by the Norwegian National Insurance Service or at workplaces. Aim: To determine whether minimal postal intervention had any effect on the length of sick leave. Methods: Randomised, controlled trial with a one year follow up in Northern Norway in 1997 and 1998; 990 consecutive newly sick-listed persons with musculoskeletal or mental disorders were studied. Within the intervention group, 495 eligible sick-listed persons received a general information letter and a questionnaire as their sick leave passed 14 days. Possible intervention effects were analysed by survival analysis of the probability of returning to work within one year, and logistic regressions with benefits at one year as the dependent variable. Results: The overall reduction of 8.3 (95% CI −22.5 to 6.0) calendar days in mean length of sick leaves in the intervention group compared to controls, was not statistically significant. However, intervention significantly reduced length of sick leaves in subgroups with mental disorders, and with rheumatic disorders and arthritis, and overall for sick leaves lasting 12 weeks or more. Young people with low back pain showed an adverse effect to intervention. The overall relative risk of receiving benefits due to sickness after one year in the intervention group was 0.69 (95% CI 0.51 to 0.93) compared to controls. Conclusion: The results should encourage employers, insurance institutions, and authorities to initiate challenges as questions on the length of sick leave and possible modified work measures, during the first few weeks of sick leave, for at least some groups of sick-listed persons. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Fleten, N Johnsen, R |
spellingShingle |
Fleten, N Johnsen, R Reducing sick leave by minimal postal intervention: a randomised, controlled intervention study |
author_facet |
Fleten, N Johnsen, R |
author_sort |
Fleten, N |
title |
Reducing sick leave by minimal postal intervention: a randomised, controlled intervention study |
title_short |
Reducing sick leave by minimal postal intervention: a randomised, controlled intervention study |
title_full |
Reducing sick leave by minimal postal intervention: a randomised, controlled intervention study |
title_fullStr |
Reducing sick leave by minimal postal intervention: a randomised, controlled intervention study |
title_full_unstemmed |
Reducing sick leave by minimal postal intervention: a randomised, controlled intervention study |
title_sort |
reducing sick leave by minimal postal intervention: a randomised, controlled intervention study |
publisher |
BMJ |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/oem.2005.020438 https://syndication.highwire.org/content/doi/10.1136/oem.2005.020438 |
geographic |
Norway |
geographic_facet |
Norway |
genre |
Northern Norway |
genre_facet |
Northern Norway |
op_source |
Occupational and Environmental Medicine volume 63, issue 10, page 676-682 ISSN 1351-0711 1470-7926 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.2005.020438 |
container_title |
Occupational and Environmental Medicine |
container_volume |
63 |
container_issue |
10 |
container_start_page |
676 |
op_container_end_page |
682 |
_version_ |
1802648204088442880 |