Work Interventions to Improve Employment Outcomes for Persons With Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis

October 3, 2016 updated by: University of Missouri-Columbia

Worksite Vocational Rehabilitation Intervention to Improve Employment Outcomes for Persons With Arthritis?

To determine if worksite based functional evaluation/intervention provided by occupational therapists improves employment outcomes for persons with arthritis.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

Arthritis is second only to heart disease as a cause of work-related disability with significant financial costs associated with the loss of work for persons with arthritis. Many persons with arthritis have physical impairments which affect their ability to work, with 50% of persons with rheumatoid arthritis leaving employment within 10 years of diagnosis. Risk factors predicting employability, length of employment and worksite accommodations for workers with arthritis have been well documented. Variables predicting work cessation include blue collar jobs and more physically demanding jobs, an older age of the worker, lower education, perceived job strain, social support of co-workers and supervisors, job satisfaction, and self-efficacy. Recent studies of self-report by persons with arthritis identified the use of worksite accommodations such as others providing assistance at work, job autonomy, time flexibility, and use of special equipment. Unknown is the effect of on-site work interventions. The need exists to determine if the provision of strategies for physical accommodations, worksite modifications, and assistive technologies at the individual's job site improves the ability of persons with arthritis to continue working.

This is a randomized clinical trial to investigate the efficacy of a worksite based intervention to improve the employment outcomes of persons with rheumatoid (RA) or osteoarthritis (OA). Persons with RA or OA who have arthritis related work difficulties will have an occupational therapist provide a worksite evaluation and subsequent training in strategies to accommodate arthritis related physical impairments and improve job performance and satisfaction. Participants in control group will be provided with educational printed materials related for a self-initiated worksite evaluation of musculoskeletal and environmental risks at the worksite for persons with arthritis.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

89

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Missouri
      • Columbia, Missouri, United States, 65212
        • University of Missouri-Columbia

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 60 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis diagnosed by a rheumatologist
  • Competitively employed; full or part time
  • Reporting arthritis-related employment difficulties
  • Agree to participate in a work site evaluation

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Systemic complications of RA (e.g., vasculitis)
  • Organic Brain Syndrome
  • Uncontrolled psychiatric disorders
  • Uncontrolled medical conditions (e.g., active cancer)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: On-site work evaluation
Participants will receive one-to-one contact with an occupational therapist and an individualized work plan
Researchers will measure the effects of worksite assessment through an on-site work evaluation by an occupational therapist on a person's job satisfaction, capacity to perform work duties, income, health status, and psychological well-being. The scope of the information will be through one-to-one contact and an individualized work plan. The strategies will include recommendations for work behaviors, ergonomic and body mechanics considerations, and modifications for job tasks, equipment, and space.
Active Comparator: Educational material
Participants will receive educational materials to develop strategies to compensate for limitations caused by their condition
Researchers will measure the effects of worksite assessment through educational materials on a person's job satisfaction, capacity to perform work duties, income, health status, and psychological well-being. The scope of the information will be through educational materials to develop strategies to compensate. The strategies will include recommendations for work behaviors, ergonomic and body mechanics considerations, and modifications for job tasks, equipment, and space.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale-2, Brief Symptom Inventory, Job Satisfaction Survey, Occupational Data information, Work History, Employment Status, Financial Information
Time Frame: Scores at baseline, 3, 6, 12, 24 months
Scores at baseline, 3, 6, 12, 24 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: George Johnstone, PhD, University of Missouri-Columbia

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

October 1, 2003

Primary Completion (Actual)

September 1, 2009

Study Completion (Actual)

September 1, 2009

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 11, 2007

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 12, 2007

First Posted (Estimate)

June 13, 2007

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

October 4, 2016

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 3, 2016

Last Verified

October 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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