title: Case management after long-term absence from work in China: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Return-to-work (RTW) after occupational injuries is an important and challenging issue. Case managers are expected to play a vital role in successful RTW. In China, RTW intervention is in its early phase and requires further research and practice.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This case report describes Mr. H's RTW process for illustrating the work of a case management team in China. Suggestions on developing and optimizing the process in China are given.
  
  
  METHODS
  After 9 years of absence from work due to severe burn injuries at work, Mr. H was referred for RTW interventions. Mr. H received social and occupational rehabilitation services of 3 months, and the following workplace visits and work trials. After the job placement, the case manager continued the liaison with the worker and employer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mr. H showed positive changes in occupational and social adjustment after the case management interventions. This was reflected from the shift from the contemplation to action stage on the Lam Assessment of Stages of Employment Readiness. Despite he did not show significant changes on functional capacity and fear avoidance beliefs, Mr. H passed the job credential test and was offered a maintenance technician position at a new company. Both the worker and the employer were satisfied with the outcome of the case management.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The RTW interventions carried out by the case managers appeared to be effective within the Chinese system. The results suggested that professional training of case managers, RTW-related policies and technological standards, early integrated interventions should be further developed in China. Disability Adjustment Group Therapy and RTW Support Groups perhaps are useful approaches in workers' returning to work.
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Work Injury Rehabilitation Center, Guangzhou 510970, People's Republic of China. tangdan8@163.com
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Ignatius Tak Sun
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xiaoyuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Youxin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Yonghua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D002056:Burns / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D019090:Case Management; D002681:China; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004651:Employment; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational; D013997:Time Factors; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation; D055815:Young Adult