title: Economic Evaluation of a New Organizational RTW Intervention to Improve Cooperation Between Sick-Listed Employees and Their Supervisors: A Field Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to assess the cost-effectiveness, -utility, and -benefit of a new organizational return-to-work intervention to improve COoperation between Sick-listed employees and their Supervisors (COSS).
  
  
  METHODS
  A field study with 6 months follow-up comparing COSS with common practice randomized participants aged 18 to 60, working at least 12  hours/week and absent for at least 2 weeks. Outcomes were initial return-to-work, quality-adjusted life years, and productivity gains.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 6 months, COSS generated less costs when compared with common practice. Participants in the COSS group returned to work earlier, improvement in quality-adjusted life years were uncertain. Net benefits of COSS versus common practice yielded a productivity gain of €395.89.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implementing COSS for sick-listed employees has potentials to reduce costs and improve productivity, and potentially quality of life. Longitudinal research might detect whether COSS also has the potential reaching sustainable return-to-work.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Research (Dr Noben, Dr Evers); Department of Social Medicine (Dr Hoefsmit, Dr de Rijk, Dr Houkes), Caphri School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University; Trimbos Institute (Dr Evers), Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction, Utrecht; and Department of Work and Social Psychology (Dr Nijhuis), Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Noben
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hoefsmit
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Evers
authors.forename: Angelique
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Rijk
authors.forename: Inge
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Houkes
authors.forename: Frans
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nijhuis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D062707:Return to Work / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult