Developing a Work Accommodation Operating Model for Workplaces and Work Ability Support Services.
Nina Nevala, Irmeli Pehkonen, Maarit Virtanen and 2 others
PMID 38627265WHAT IT FOUND
A workplace survey found that fewer than half of respondents reported their workplace had enough knowledge and skills to accommodate work, and Finnish workplaces co-created a work accommodation model setting out process steps, roles, and tools.
The paper does not test whether the model works.
Key findings
01The project used a conceptual and developmental design and co-created a work accommodation operating model with eleven workplaces in Finland.
02The survey of 297 employees found that 45% agreed at least somewhat that there was enough knowledge and skills to accommodate work in their workplace, and 15% had personal experience of work accommodation.
03The final model described six phases and defined actions, roles, and responsibilities; four tools were developed to support implementation.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The authors state they had no opportunity to gather long-term user experiences, so the paper does not show how the model performs over time. The case description reports outcomes after several workplace accommodation activities, and the paper does not separate the contribution of any single component. Information on small businesses remained limited, and the authors recommend modifying the model for small workplaces. The authors were unable to observe socio-cultural factors in different workplace contexts during remote co-development. The survey, workshop, and piloting involved different participant groups, so it is not a single evaluated sample.
Declared interests
The European Social Fund funded the work as part of a project in Finland.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the operating model improves work ability or reduces sick leave. The paper describes model development, survey feedback, and a case description, and the authors state they had no opportunity to gather long-term user experiences.