title: A new intervention to improve work participation of young adults with physical disabilities: a feasibility study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of a new intervention to improve work participation of young adults with physical disabilities, addressing (1) implementation and costs and (2) preliminary effectiveness.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve young adults with physical disabilities (six males, six females; age 19-28 y, median age 21 y 6 mo) participated in a 1-year multidisciplinary vocational rehabilitation intervention. In a pre-post intervention design, we assessed implementation and costs as well as preliminary effectiveness in terms of employment and occupational performance using questionnaires and interviews. We tested pre-post differences with the McNemar test for proportions and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for scores on occupational performance; p-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Additionally, we assessed work participation at follow-up after 2 years and 3 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The intervention was implemented in an outpatient rehabilitation clinic for young adults. The median cost per participant for 1 year was €3128, which is an equivalent to the cost of 72 contact hours per participant. Post intervention, and at 2 years and 3 years follow-up, a significantly higher proportion of participants were employed (8/12 post vs 2/12 pre-intervention; p<0.05), with the ratio of those in paid to unpaid employment being 4:4, 5:3, and 7:1 respectively. Participants showed improved occupational performance in work, self-care, and leisure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of the intervention are promising. Employed participants seemed to have achieved suitable and continuous employment.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Expertise Innovations in Care, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. J.A.C.Verhoef@hr.nl
authors.forename: Joan A C
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Verhoef
authors.forename: Harald S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Miedema
authors.forename: Jetty
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Meeteren
authors.forename: Henk J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Stam
authors.forename: Marij E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Roebroeck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004650:Employee Performance Appraisal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004651:Employment / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult