Exploring the perspectives of key stakeholders in returning to work after minor to serious road traffic injuries: a qualitative study

Article

Abedi, Masoumeh, Aplin, Tammy, Gane, Gane and Johnston, Venerina. 2023. "Exploring the perspectives of key stakeholders in returning to work after minor to serious road traffic injuries: a qualitative study." Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 33 (1), pp. 93-106. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-022-10051-w
Article Title

Exploring the perspectives of key stakeholders in returning to work after minor to serious road traffic injuries: a qualitative study

ERA Journal ID16458
Article CategoryArticle
AuthorsAbedi, Masoumeh, Aplin, Tammy, Gane, Gane and Johnston, Venerina
Journal TitleJournal of Occupational Rehabilitation
Journal Citation33 (1), pp. 93-106
Number of Pages14
Year2023
PublisherSpringer
Place of PublicationUnited States
ISSN1053-0487
1573-3688
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-022-10051-w
Web Address (URL)https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10926-022-10051-w
Abstract

Purpose
This qualitative study conducted in Queensland, Australia aimed to explore various stakeholders’ perspectives on (1) the barriers and facilitators of Return to Work (RTW) for injured persons following minor to serious Road Traffic Injuries (RTI) in a fault-based scheme, and to investigate the changes needed to better support RTW following RTI.

Methods
The study was performed using the Interpretive Description methodological approach. Data were collected during interviews (n = 17), one focus group (n = 4), and an open-ended survey (n = 10) with five categories of stakeholders: treating health providers, workplace representatives, legal representatives, rehabilitation advisors, and insurers. Participants were eligible to participate if they had at least one year of employment history in their respective profession in Queensland, Australia, and were experienced in assisting the RTW of people with RTI. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.

Results
Seven themes were extracted reflecting the barriers and facilitators of RTW along with stakeholders’ recommendations to address these barriers. These themes were: (1) knowledge is power; (2) stakeholder expertise; (3) early and appropriate treatment matters; (4) insurers could do better; (5) necessity of employers’ support; (6) fix the disjointed system; (7) importance of individual factors pre- and post- injury. The main barriers identified were stakeholders’ insufficient communication and knowledge on RTW process following RTI.

Conclusions
Individual and system barriers identified in this study suggest that RTW after RTI occurs in a complex system requiring the commitment of all stakeholders. This is particularly important for managing knowledge-related barriers by provision of high quality and easily accessible information about the RTW process, disability schemes, and the nature of RTI.

KeywordsReturn to work; Traffic accidents; Insurance; Qualitative research
Contains Sensitive ContentDoes not contain sensitive content
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020420109. Rehabilitation
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Byline AffiliationsUniversity of Queensland
Prince Charles Hospital, Australia
Princess Alexandra Hospital, Australia
Metro South Health, Queensland
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