title: Communicating with employers: experiences of occupational therapists treating people with musculoskeletal conditions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Many employed people with musculoskeletal conditions rely on healthcare practitioners, including occupational therapists, for work-related advice and support. Good communication between healthcare practitioners and employers is considered vital in facilitating work retention and return to work. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of occupational therapists in communicating with patients' employers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative data were collected from the responses of occupational therapists to ten statements/open questions in a questionnaire survey of UK occupational therapists. Data were copied verbatim into word documents and analysed thematically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 649 comments were made by 143 respondents. Five themes were identified that were associated with communicating with employers: patient-dependent; employer-dependent; therapist-dependent; extrinsic factors; methods of communication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study has identified that communication between occupational therapists and employers is influenced by a number of factors, including those which are outside the therapists' control. These need to be acknowledged and addressed by therapists, their professional organisation, employers, commissioners, therapy service managers, educators and employees in order to support return-to-work and work retention of people with musculoskeletal conditions.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK, carolyn.coole@nottingham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coole
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Birks
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: Avril
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Drummond
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D004651:Employment; D006801:Humans; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D011361:Professional Competence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom; D017132:Workplace
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