The key features of the program include ; having trained personnel coordinate the RTW process , identifying and ranking barriers and solutions to RTW from the perspective of all important stakeholders , mediating practical solutions at the workplace and , empowering the injured worker in RTW decision-making .
Background Despite over 2 decades of research , the ability to prevent  work-related low back pain ( LBP ) and disability  remains elusive .
Recent research suggests that interventions that are focused at the workplace and incorporate the principals of participatory ergonomics and return-to-work ( RTW ) coordination can improve RTW and reduce disability following a work-related back injury .
Workplace interventions or programs to improve RTW  are difficult to design and implement given the various individuals and environments involved , each with their own unique circumstances .
Intervention mapping provides a framework for design ing and implementing complex interventions or programs .
The objective of this study is to design a best evidence RTW program for occupational LBP tailored to the Ontario setting using an intervention mapping approach .
Treatment- and Cost-Effectiveness of Early Intervention for Acute Low-Back Pain Patients: A One-Year Prospective Study
In an attempt to prevent acute low-back pain from becoming a chronic disability problem , an earlier study developed a statistical algorithm which accurately identified those acute low-back pain patients who were at high risk for developing such chronicity . The major goal of the present study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of employing an early intervention program with these high-risk patients in order to prevent the development of chronic disability at a 1-year follow-up . Approximately 700 acute low-back pain patients were screened for their high-risk versus low-risk status . On the basis of this screening , high-risk patients were then r and omly assigned to one of two groups : a functional restoration early intervention group ( n = 22 ) , or a nonintervention group ( n = 48 ) . A group of low-risk subjects ( n = 54 ) who did not receive any early intervention  was also evaluated . All these subjects were prospect ively tracked at 3-month intervals starting from the date of their initial evaluation , culminating in a 12-month follow-up . During these follow-up evaluations , pain disability and socioeconomic outcomes ( such as return-to-work and healthcare utilization ) were assessed . Results clearly indicated that the high-risk subjects who received early intervention displayed statistically significant fewer indices of chronic pain disability on a wide range of work , healthcare utilization , medication use , and self-report pain variables , relative to the high-risk subjects who do not receive such early intervention . In addition , the high-risk nonintervention group displayed significantly more symptoms of chronic pain disability on these variables relative to the initially low-risk subjects . Cost-comparison savings data were also evaluated . These data revealed that there were greater cost savings associated with the early intervention group versus the no early intervention group . The overall results of this study clearly demonstrate the treatment- and cost-effectiveness of an early intervention program for acute low-back pain patients
The key features of the program include ; having trained personnel coordinate the RTW process , identifying and ranking barriers and solutions to RTW from the perspective of all important stakeholders , mediating practical solutions at the workplace and , empowering the injured worker in RTW decision-making .
Background Despite over 2 decades of research , the ability to prevent  work-related low back pain ( LBP ) and disability  remains elusive .
Recent research suggests that interventions that are focused at the workplace and incorporate the principals of participatory ergonomics and return-to-work ( RTW ) coordination can improve RTW and reduce disability following a work-related back injury .
Workplace interventions or programs to improve RTW  are difficult to design and implement given the various individuals and environments involved , each with their own unique circumstances .
Intervention mapping provides a framework for design ing and implementing complex interventions or programs .
The objective of this study is to design a best evidence RTW program for occupational LBP tailored to the Ontario setting using an intervention mapping approach .