Effectiveness of Medical Rehabilitation on Return-to-Work Depends on the Interplay of Occupation Characteristics and Disease

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

Introduction Work disability causes high costs for economy, organizations, and employees. However, medical rehabilitation does not always enable employees to return to their old jobs. In the present study, we investigated how disease classification and work characteristics interact in predicting the success of medical rehabilitation in terms of one’s ability to return to a former job. 
Methods To this end, we matched 2009 patient data from the German Statutory Pension Insurance agency with job characteristics data from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) 17.0 database. We used a multilevel approach and a sample of N = 72,029, nested in 194 occupational groups. Results We found that workers are less likely to reenter a former job if mental illnesses coincide with emotionally demanding labor and if musculoskeletal diseases coincide with extreme environmental conditions. We did not find different effects between occupational groups for other types of diseases (circulatory system, neoplasms, injuries, others). 
Conclusion Thus, the contextual overlap of disease and occupational characteristics notably lowers the chances of a successful return-to-work. These findings should be taken into account by physicians when attempting to set realistic goals for rehabilitation in collaboration with the patient and the funding agency.
Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Occupational Rehabilitation
Volume27
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)59-69
Number of pages11
ISSN1053-0487
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.03.2017

    Research areas

  • Health sciences - Rehabilitation, return to work, Occupational groups, Occupational disability, multilevel analysis

Recently viewed

Publications

  1. Terpenoids tame aggressors
  2. Ein diversitätssensibles Einspielen
  3. Glaube und Vernunft
  4. Strategischer Wandel in Dienstleistungsunternehmen
  5. Die Abschiebungsanordnung nach § 58a Aufenthaltsgesetz
  6. Inklusiver Fremdsprachenunterricht
  7. Oberirdisches und unterirdisches Einzugsgebiet - Bedeutung für den Wasserhaushalt
  8. Bärenstark
  9. Im Aquarium
  10. Zugänge zur Personalforschung
  11. Elektronische Anmeldeplattform für Tandem
  12. Innovatives Management staatlicher Umweltpolitik
  13. Empowering the Public Sector
  14. "Doing-Gender" in universitären Übungsfirmen
  15. Universal screening for latent and active tuberculosis (TB) in asylum seeking children, Bochum and hamburg, Germany, September 2015 to November 2016
  16. Quecksilberfreisetzung aus abgeschiedenem Amalgam nach Anwendung unterschiedlicher Desinfektionsmittel
  17. Mathematisches Forschen und Theoriebilden
  18. Institutional dual ownership and voluntary greenhouse gas emission disclosure
  19. Versuchslabor der Werbung
  20. Effects of lead and cadmium uptake on the metabolic rate of the woodlouse Porcellio scaber (crustacea, isopoda
  21. Aufforstung und Landnutzung - die Veränderung des Wasserhaushaltes in der Lüneburger Heide
  22. Naturschutzbiologie
  23. Ein Beitrag durch wertorientiertes Umweltmanagement
  24. § 117 Schadenersatzpflicht
  25. Erholung
  26. Weiche Faktoren als Erfolgsfaktoren des Sparkassenvertriebs
  27. Mixed afforestation of young subtropical trees promotes nitrogen acquisition and retention
  28. Facettenreiche Wirtschaftsinformatik
  29. Geographisches Lernen im Anfangsunterricht
  30. Formelhafte Texte
  31. Fallstudie
  32. Klimawandel und Gesellschaft
  33. Aufwand und Ertrag
  34. Positionen, Potenziale, Perspektiven
  35. Blinde Flecken in der Unternehmensführung
  36. Förderung der Problemlösefähigkeit und der Motivation durch selbstorganisiertes Lernen
  37. Greenpeace Nachhaltigkeitsbarometer 2015