title: Effect of the Danish return-to-work program on long-term sickness absence: results from a randomized controlled trial in three municipalities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the Danish return-to-work (RTW) program on long-term sickness absence in a randomized controlled trial in three municipalities.
  
  
  METHODS
  The intervention group comprised 1948 participants while the control group comprised 1157 participant receiving ordinary sickness benefit management (OSM). Study participants were working-age adults receiving long-term (≥8 weeks or more) benefits, included regardless of reason for sickness absence or employment status. Each beneficiary was followed-up for a maximum period of 52 weeks. Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for return to work (RTW) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The intervention effect differed significantly between the municipalities (P=0.00005). In one municipality (M2) the intervention resulted in a statistically significant increased rate of recovery from long-term sickness absence (HR 1.51, 95% CI 1.31-1.74). In the other two municipalities, the intervention did not show a statistically significant effect (HR M11.12, 95% CI 0.97-1.29, and HR M30.80, 95% CI 0.63-1.03, respectively). Adjustment for a series of possible confounders only marginally altered the estimated HR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The effect of the intervention differed substantially between the three municipalities, indicating that that contextual factors are of major importance for success or failure of this complex intervention.
authors.affiliation: National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkalle 105, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. omp@nrcwe.dk.
authors.forename: Otto M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Poulsen
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aust
authors.forename: Jakob Bue
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Bjorner
authors.forename: Reiner
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rugulies
authors.forename: Jørgen V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Torill
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tverborgvik
authors.forename: Glen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Winzor
authors.forename: Ole S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Mortensen
authors.forename: Trine
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Helverskov
authors.forename: Palle
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ørbæk
authors.forename: Maj Britt D
authors.initials: MBD
authors.lastname: Nielsen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003718:Denmark; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D062707:Return to Work; D018582:Sick Leave; D055815:Young Adult