Clinical trial NCT03519334: PATHWAYS in Europe
Official title: PArticipation To Healthy Workplaces And Inclusive Strategies in the Work Sector
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Employment
Keywords: Employment
Return to work
Career Mobility
Employment supported
Workplace
Chronic disease
Lead sponsor: Universidad Autonoma de Madrid
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta
name: Ludwig-Maximilians - University of Munich
name: Fundació Sant Joan de Déu
name: University Rehabilitation Institute, Republic of Slovenia
name: University of Thessaly
name: KABEG Management
name: Jagiellonian University
name: Charles University, Czech Republic
name: Oslo Metropolitan University
name: European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities
First posted: 2018-05-08
Enrollment: 686
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 65
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Observational model: OTHER
Time perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Chronic health conditions will be defined by people with self reported diagnosis of any of the following health conditions: Diabetes, Chronic obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Major Depression, Dysthymia, Migraine, Back \& Neck Pain, Cancer, Ischemic Heart Disease (According to International Classification of Diseases 10th version (ICD-10)

Experts will be people working in advocacy organizations. For example, NGOs and patient's associations. These associations shuld be aimed ar enhancing professional integration of people with chronic health conditions

Brief summary: PATHWAYS is a 3-year project that directly contributes to the 2014 Work Programme by focusing on action 2.1.1.3 regarding the development of innovative approaches to promote the professional integration and reintegration of people with chronic diseases and improve their employability. The main aim of PATHWAYS is to provide evidence-based recommendations for the effective professional integration of people with chronic health conditions in Europe

Detailed description: Introduction: One out four people experience any long-lasting health problem in Europe. Individuals with chronic diseases often experience work-related problems, leading to negative consequences at individual and societal level. The rising prevalence of chronic diseases as well as the current economic recession made this issue even more problematic, requiring action in terms of innovative strategies to improve the participation of these persons in the labor market.

The PATHWAYS objectives are:

1. To identify integration and re-integration strategies that are available in Europe and beyond and to determine their effectiveness (systematic literature review)
2. To assess the specific employment related needs of persons with chronic diseases and mental disorders (e-survey including people with chronic health conditions)
3. To develop guidelines supporting the implementation of effective professional integration and reintegration strategies. (expert consultation survey)

Methods:

PATHWAYS is a multi-informant approach study. Information will be gathered from different sources:

1. Systematic literature review,
2. An expert consultation study (Including NGOs, patient's organizations and advocacy organizations operating at European Level). Experts will be searched by Internet. Questionnaire will be completed by e-mail
3. an e-Survey including people with chronic health conditions. The Clinical Record Form (CRF) will be online (Google forms). Participation will be free. Any people who meet the inclusion criteria can log in and complete it. The dissemination of the CRF will be done via relevant patient's associations. The CRF will be also published in the patient association's websites, if possible

Hypothesis:

* Literature will focus on the negative points of experiencing chronic health problems in the workplace rather than analysing the professional needs of people with these health conditions
* There will be a set of professional needs that will be shared across different chronic health condition groups and that can be targeted in common preventive strategies
* There will be a considerable gap between the existing employment strategies (i.e. services, systems and policies) and the real employment needs of people with chronic health conditions

Eligibility criteria: As PATHWAYS include different studies and methodologies, different inclusion and exclusion criteria are defined for each study

People with Chronic health condition study:

Inclusion Criteria:

* People with self-reported diagnosis of chronic health conditions (i.e Diabetes, Chronic obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Major Depression, Dysthymia, Migraine, Back \& Neck Pain, Cancer, Ischemic Heart Disease)
* Participants living in European Union (EU-28)
* Working age: 18-65 years

Exclusion Criteria:

* Younger than 18 years
* No residents in European Union (EU-28)

Expert consultation study:

Inclusion Criteria:

* People working in Advocacy organizations. These organizations should meet all the following criteria: i) their main activities should be addressed at (re)integrating people with chronic health conditions into the workforce ii) they should operate at European level, and iii) they should have at least 3 years of experience in the field.
* Working age: 18-65 years

Exclusion Criteria:

* Advocacy organizations not operating at European Union Level

Primary outcomes:
measure: Employment needs
timeFrame: One time point assessment. Period of data collection: An average of 3 years (2016-2018)
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Hermagor
country: Austria
facility: KABEG Gailtal-Klinik
city: Praha
country: Czechia
facility: Charles University Czech Republic
city: Munich
country: Germany
facility: Ludwig Maximilian University
city: Thessaloníki
country: Greece
facility: University of Thessaly
city: Milan
country: Italy
facility: Foundation IRCCS Neurological Institute Carlo Besta
city: Oslo
country: Norway
facility: Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences
city: Kraków
country: Poland
facility: Jagiellonian University Medical College
city: Ljubljana
country: Slovenia
facility: University Rehabilitation Institute, Republic of Slovenia
city: Sant Boi De Llobregat
country: Spain
facility: Fundació Sant Joan de Déu
state: Barcelona
city: Madrid
country: Spain
facility: Universidad Autonoma de Madrid
Study officials:
affiliation: Universidad Autonoma de Madrid
name: Jose Luis Mateos, MD, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: