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 .
Predictors for outcome of a multi-modal cognitive behavioural treatment program for low back pain patients-a 12-month follow-up study.
Low back pain patients ( n=142 ) on sick leave for at least 8 weeks were given a multi-modal cognitive behavioural treatment program ( MMCBT ) that lasted for 4 weeks . Before treatment , all patients were tested with a comprehensive test battery . The outcome at 12-month follow-up was predictable from the pretest , but only when combining medical and psychological data . Patients who returned to work ( Returners , 50 % ) in the  MMCBT group were characterised by less pain , more psychological strength , were evaluated by the physiotherapist as having a good prognosis for return to work , and were less educated . Patients who did not return to work ( Non-returners ) in the MMCBT group felt tense and unfit , felt hopelessness concerning the future , were less physically active , thought their complaints would worsen if they continued working , and reported fewer difficulties driving a car .  Returners to work ( 58 % ) in the r and omised control group ( n=81 ) , who received ordinary physical therapy , were characterised by high levels of energy , less subjective health complaints , less exhaustion for a condition test , and did not work in positions giving a constant load on the back . There was no significant differences between number of patients who had returned to work in the  MMCBT  and the control group . Non-returners in the control group lacked energy , trained less regularly , worked in occupations that gave an almost constant load on the back , and did not expect to be back to work in the course of a couple of weeks . It seems to be important to develop further diagnostic tools to identify those who might benefit from extensive or specific treatments . Copyright 1998 European Federation of Chapters of the International Association for the Study of Pain
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 .