Exploring the perspectives of key stakeholders in returning to work after minor to serious road traffic injuries: a qualitative study

Masoumeh Abedi; Tammy Aplin; Elise Gane; Venerina Johnston

doi:10.1007/s10926-022-10051-w

Exploring the perspectives of key stakeholders in returning to work after minor to serious road traffic injuries: a qualitative study

J Occup Rehabil. 2023 Mar;33(1):93-106. doi: 10.1007/s10926-022-10051-w. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

Authors

Masoumeh Abedi¹, Tammy Aplin^{2

3}, Elise Gane^{2

4

5}, Venerina Johnston^{2

6}

Affiliations

¹ School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. m.abedi@uq.net.au.
² School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
³ Allied Health Research Collaborative, The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.
⁴ Physiotherapy Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.
⁵ Centre for Functioning and Health Research, Metro South Health, Brisbane, Australia.
⁶ RECOVER Injury Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

PMID: 35723805
DOI: 10.1007/s10926-022-10051-w

Abstract

Purpose: This qualitative study conducted in Queensland, Australia aimed to explore various stakeholders' perspectives on (1) the barriers and facilitators of Return to Work (RTW) for injured persons following minor to serious Road Traffic Injuries (RTI) in a fault-based scheme, and to investigate the changes needed to better support RTW following RTI.

Methods: The study was performed using the Interpretive Description methodological approach. Data were collected during interviews (n = 17), one focus group (n = 4), and an open-ended survey (n = 10) with five categories of stakeholders: treating health providers, workplace representatives, legal representatives, rehabilitation advisors, and insurers. Participants were eligible to participate if they had at least one year of employment history in their respective profession in Queensland, Australia, and were experienced in assisting the RTW of people with RTI. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.

Results: Seven themes were extracted reflecting the barriers and facilitators of RTW along with stakeholders' recommendations to address these barriers. These themes were: (1) knowledge is power; (2) stakeholder expertise; (3) early and appropriate treatment matters; (4) insurers could do better; (5) necessity of employers' support; (6) fix the disjointed system; (7) importance of individual factors pre- and post- injury. The main barriers identified were stakeholders' insufficient communication and knowledge on RTW process following RTI.

Conclusions: Individual and system barriers identified in this study suggest that RTW after RTI occurs in a complex system requiring the commitment of all stakeholders. This is particularly important for managing knowledge-related barriers by provision of high quality and easily accessible information about the RTW process, disability schemes, and the nature of RTI.

Keywords: Insurance; Qualitative research; Return to work; Traffic accidents.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Australia
Focus Groups
Humans
Qualitative Research
Return to Work*
Workplace*