Training for occupational health physicians to involve significant others in the return-to-work process of workers with chronic diseases: a randomized controlled trial.

Item request has been placed! ×
Item request cannot be made. ×
loading   Processing Request
Read More Add to Saved list
  • Additional Information
    • Subject Terms:
      EDUCATION of physicians; ONLINE education; ANALYSIS of variance; CHRONIC diseases; PHYSICIANS' attitudes; QUANTITATIVE research; SELF-efficacy; HEALTH literacy; RANDOMIZED controlled trials; T-test (Statistics); COMPARATIVE studies; CRONBACH'S alpha; SCALE analysis (Psychology); DESCRIPTIVE statistics; CHI-squared test; RESEARCH funding; OCCUPATIONAL health services; EMPLOYMENT reentry; STATISTICAL sampling; DATA analysis software; THEMATIC analysis
    • Abstract:
      To determine the efficacy of the "Training for Occupational health physicians To Involve Significant others" (TOTIS) e-learning module for improving occupational health physicians' (OHPs) knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy regarding involving significant others in the return-to-work process. A randomized controlled trial with 87 OHPs, involving an intervention group and a wait-listed control group. Between-group differences in knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy outcomes, and retention of effects were assessed using ANOVA and paired t-tests. Reactions to the e-learning module were analyzed with descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. We found moderate to large effects on OHPs' knowledge (p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.202), attitudes (p = 0.003, ηp2 = 0.098), and self-efficacy (p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.237), with retention of all changes at 10-week follow-up. OHPs graded the e-learning module with a mean score of 7.9 out of 10 (SD = 1.11) and indicated that the module increased their awareness of the role of significant others and encouraged them to address this more often. The TOTIS e-learning module and accompanying materials are valuable resources for OHPs to learn how significant others influence work outcomes of workers with chronic diseases and to manage their involvement in the re-integration process. This study is registered in the Netherlands Trial Register under trial number NL8744; . The TOTIS e-learning module is the first evidence-based training to improve the knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy of occupational health physicians with regard to involving significant others in the re-integration process of workers with chronic diseases. The e-learning module and accompanying tools can increase the awareness of occupational health physicians about the role of significant others and encourage them to address the role of significant others in the re-integration process of sick-listed workers. It could be beneficial to expand on the e-learning module with a face-to-face training program involving group interaction, peer discussion, and skills development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]