| Summary: | The ability to work can be reduced if a person has health problems which may lead to periods of sick leave. In Sweden sickness certification is issued by physicians. Many general practitioners (GPs) find sickness certification to be problematic. Some studies indicate that collaboration with other health care professions could be beneficial. The aim of the thesis was to provide knowledge on how the work with the sick leave process in primary health care can be improved and how occupational therapists’ (OT) assessment could be used prior to the decision on sick leave and rehabilitation. Initially seven focus groups were held, four with OTs and three with physicians. The discussions in the focus gropes were analysed by qualitative content analysis. An intervention project was initiated, where four health care centres in northern Sweden tested a working approach where sick listed patients were offered a supplementary assessment of activity and work-related problems by an OT. Data on sick leave, sickness certificates and patient questionnaires were collected from intervention health care centres (IHCC) and other health care centres (OHCC). Interviews were conducted with patients, GPs and OTs. The quality of the information in the collected sickness certificates was evaluated. Average values of sick leave were compared between the IHCCs and the OHCCs in the county. The interviews with sick listed patients were analysed by qualitative content analysis. In order to analyse the implementation of the intervention the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, CFIR, was used. An overall theme and four categories emerged from the focus groups. The theme expressed work ability as an obscure, complex and unique concept. The four categories illustrate the affecting factors and confirmed the complex structure of work ability: the person, the context of life, the work, and the society. No significant differences between IHCCs and OHCCs in data on sick leave or the mandatory information in the certificates were found. ...
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