title: The Danish national return-to-work program--aims, content, and design of the process and effect evaluation.
abstract: The Danish national return-to-work (RTW) program aims to improve the management of municipal sickness benefit         in Denmark. A study is currently ongoing to evaluate the RTW program. The purpose of this article is to describe the         study protocol. The program includes 21 municipalities encompassing approximately 19 500 working-age adults on         long-term sickness absence, regardless of reason for sickness absence or employment status. It consists of three core         elements: (i) establishment of multidisciplinary RTW teams, (ii) introduction of standardized workability assessments         and sickness absence management procedures, and (iii) a comprehensive training course for the RTW teams. The effect         evaluation is based on a parallel group randomized trial and a stratified cluster controlled trial and focuses on         register-based primary outcomes - duration of sickness absence and RTW - and questionnaire-based secondary         outcomes such as health and workability. The process evaluation utilizes questionnaires, interviews, and municipal         data. The effect evaluation tests whether participants in the intervention have a (i) shorter duration of full-time         sickness absence, (ii) longer time until recurrent long-term sickness absence, (iii) faster full RTW, (iv) more         positive development in health, workability, pain, and sleep; it also tests whether the program is cost-effective. The         process evaluation investigates: (i) whether the expected target population is reached; (ii) if the program is         implemented as intended; (iii) how the beneficiaries, the RTW teams, and the external stakeholders experience the         program; and (iv) whether contextual factors influenced the implementation. The program has the potential to contribute         markedly to lowering human and economic costs and increasing labor force supply. First results will be available in         2013. The trial registrations are ISRCTN43004323, and ISRCTN51445682.
authors.affiliation: National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkalle 105, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. bma@nrcwe.dk
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aust
authors.forename: Trine
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Helverskov
authors.forename: Maj Britt D
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Jakob Bue
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Bjorner
authors.forename: Reiner
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rugulies
authors.forename: Karina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Ole H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.forename: Gry
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grundtvig
authors.forename: Malene F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Jørgen V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Helle L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Buchardt
authors.forename: Lisbeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Trine L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Lund
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Mogens H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Aksel S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Clausen
authors.forename: Eskil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heinesen
authors.forename: Ole S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Mortensen
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ektor-Andersen
authors.forename: Palle
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ørbæk
authors.forename: Glen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Winzor
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bültmann
authors.forename: Otto M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Poulsen
mesh_terms: D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012042:Registries; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation