Implementation of participatory organizational change in long term care to improve safety.

Introduction: Long Term Care (LTC) facilities are fast-paced, demanding environments placing workers at significant risk for injuries. Health and safety interventions to address hazards in LTC are challenging to implement. The study assessed a participatory organizational change intervention implementation and impacts.

The Association Between Case Manager Interactions and Serious Mental Illness Following a Physical Workplace Injury or Illness: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Workers' Compensation Claimants in Ontario.

Poor mental health is a common occurrence among workers recovering from a work-related injury or illness. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to estimate the association between adverse interactions with workers' compensation case managers and experiencing a serious mental illness 18-months following a workplace injury or illness. A cohort of 996 workers' compensation claimants in Ontario Canada were interviewed 18 months following a disabling work-related injury or illness.

Preventing fall-from-height injuries in construction: Effectiveness of a regulatory training standard.

Introduction: A regulatory training standard for construction workers using fall protection equipment became mandatory in 2015 in the province of Ontario, Canada. By the end of the transition period in 2017, 418,000 workers had been trained to the new standard. Two primary research questions were posed: (1) To what extent does the WAH training affect practices at the worksite? and (2) Has there been a change in the incidence of fall-from-height injuries coincident with the introduction of the WAH Training Standard?

Materials And Methods: A longitudinal survey of 633 learners was conducted in 2017 at one-, four- and seven-week post-training.

Are there differences in the return to work process for work-related psychological and musculoskeletal injuries? A longitudinal path analysis.

Purpose: To examine differences in the return to work (RTW) process for workers' compensation claimants with psychological injuries compared to those with musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries.

Methods: We collected data from 869 workers' compensation claimants in Victoria, Australia, at three time points over a 12-month period (21% with psychological injury claims). RTW was assessed through self-report.

A probabilistic approach for economic evaluation of occupational health and safety interventions: a case study of silica exposure reduction interventions in the construction sector.

Background: Construction workers are at a high risk of exposure to various types of hazardous substances such as crystalline silica. Though multiple studies indicate the evidence regarding the effectiveness of different silica exposure reduction interventions in the construction sector, the decisions for selecting a specific silica exposure reduction intervention are best informed by an economic evaluation. Economic evaluation of interventions is subjected to uncertainties in practice, mostly due to the lack of precise data on important variables.

Long Working Hours and the Prevalence of Masked and Sustained Hypertension.

Previous studies on the effect of long working hours on blood pressure have shown inconsistent results. Mixed findings could be attributable to limitations related to blood pressure measurement and the lack of consideration of masked hypertension. The objective was to determine whether individuals who work long hours have a higher prevalence of masked and sustained hypertension.

Precarious patients: health professionals' perspectives on providing care to Mexican and Jamaican migrants in Canada's Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program.

Introduction: The intersecting vulnerabilities of migrant agricultural workers (MAWs) impact both their health and their access to health care in rural areas, yet rural clinicians' voices are rarely documented. The purpose of this study was to explore health professionals' perspectives on health care for MAWs in sending countries and rural Ontario, Canada.

Methods: Qualitative research design occurred over three distinct projects, using a multi-methodological approach including semi-structured interviews in Mexico, Jamaica and rural Ontario (n=43), and session field notes and questionnaires administered to healthcare providers (n=65) during knowledge exchange sessions in rural Ontario.

How Does Perceived Fairness in the Workers' Compensation Claims Process Affect Mental Health Following a Workplace Injury?

Purpose Mental health concerns are common after a workplace injury, particularly amongst those making a compensation claim. Yet there is a lack of research exploring the effect of modifiable elements of the return-to-work process on mental health. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of perceived injustice in the interactions between claim agents and claimants on mental health symptoms in the 12-month following a musculoskeletal (MSK) workplace injury.

Psychosocial Stressors at Work and Ambulatory Blood Pressure.

Purpose Of Review: Psychosocial stressors at work from the demand-latitude and effort-reward imbalance models are adverse exposures affecting about 20-25% of workers in industrialized countries. This review aims to summarize evidence on the effect of these stressors on blood pressure (BP).

Recent Findings: Three systematic reviews have recently documented the effect of these psychosocial stressors at work on BP.

Occupational Health and Safety Vulnerability of Recent Immigrants and Refugees.

Recent immigrants and refugees have higher rates of work-related injuries and illnesses compared to Canadian-born workers. As a result, they are often labelled as vulnerable workers. This study explored the factors that contribute to occupational health and safety (OHS) vulnerability of recent immigrants and refugees with a focus on modifiable factors such as exposure to hazards and access to workplace protections, awareness of OHS and worker rights, and empowerment to act on those rights.

Longitudinal association between psychological demands and burnout for employees experiencing a high versus a low degree of job resources.

Background: Exhaustion and burnout are common causes for sickness absence. This study examines the relationship between psychological demands and burnout over time, and if environmental support modifies the longitudinal relationship between psychological demands and burnout at baseline, with burnout measured 2 years subsequently.

Methods: A questionnaire was sent to employees in seven Swedish organizations in 2010-2012 with follow-up after 2 years, n = 1722 responded (64%).

Perceived Role and Expectations of Health Care Providers in Return to Work.

Purpose Health care providers (HCPs) play an important role in return to work (RTW) and in the workers' compensation system. However, HCPs may feel unsure about their responsibilities in the RTW process and experience difficulty making recommendations about RTW readiness and limitations. This study examines the ways in which HCPs and case managers (CMs) perceive HCPs role in the RTW process, and how similarities and differences between these views, in turn, inform expectations of HCPs.

Recovery Within Injury Compensation Schemes: A System Mapping Study.

Purpose Many industrialised nations have systems of injury compensation and rehabilitation that are designed to support injury recovery and return to work. Despite their intention, there is now substantial evidence that injured people, employers and healthcare providers can experience those systems as difficult to navigate, and that this can affect injury recovery. This study sought to characterise the relationships and interactions occurring between actors in three Australian injury compensation systems, to identify the range of factors that impact on injury recovery, and the interactions and inter-relationships between these factors.

Process evaluation of a participatory organizational change program to reduce musculoskeletal and slip, trip and fall injuries.

Background: Long-term care (LTC) workers are at significant risk for occupational-related injuries. Our objective was to evaluate the implementation process of a participatory change program to reduce risk.

Methods: A process evaluation was conducted in three LTC sites using a qualitative approach employing structured interviews, consultant logs and a focus group.

Developing leading indicators from OHS management audit data: Determining the measurement properties of audit data from the field.

Introduction: OHS management audits are one means of obtaining data that may serve as leading indicators. The measurement properties of such data are therefore important. This study used data from Workwell audit program in Ontario, a Canadian province.

The magnitude of muscular activation of four canine forelimb muscles in dogs performing two agility-specific tasks.

Background: The purpose of this study was to measure the muscular activation in four forelimb muscles while dogs performed agility tasks (i.e., jumping and A-frame) and to provide insight into potential relationships between level of muscular activation and risk of injury.

Effectiveness of Workplace Interventions in Return-to-Work for Musculoskeletal, Pain-Related and Mental Health Conditions: An Update of the Evidence and Messages for Practitioners.

Purpose The objective of this systematic review was to synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of workplace-based return-to-work (RTW) interventions and work disability management (DM) interventions that assist workers with musculoskeletal (MSK) and pain-related conditions and mental health (MH) conditions with RTW. Methods We followed a systematic review process developed by the Institute for Work & Health and an adapted best evidence synthesis that ranked evidence as strong, moderate, limited, or insufficient. Results Seven electronic databases were searched from January 1990 until April 2015, yielding 8898 non-duplicate references.

Validity of a simplified screening instrument for assessing overweight children in a dental setting: a cross sectional study.

Background: Obesity, with its rising prevalence among Canadians and its estimated cost of $2 billion annually in Canada, is no longer considered a cosmetic issue, but a major health issue that imposes a great burden on the healthcare system and economy. This cross sectional study aims to evaluate the feasibility of identifying the weight status of 6 to 11 year-old children in a university dental clinic using a simplified overweight screening instrument.

Methods: One hundred sixty eight healthy children were enrolled.

The development of a framework to integrate evidence into a national injury prevention strategy.

Background: Injury is the leading cause of death from birth to age 34 in Canada (Statistics Canada, 2008). In 2013, a national injury prevention organization in Canada initiated a research-practitioner collaboration to establish a framework for incorporating evidence in the organization's decision-making. In this study, we outline the development process and provide an overview of the framework.

The impact of co-morbid mental and physical disorders on presenteeism.

Objectives: This study sought to: (i) explore the impact of mood disorders (such as depression, bipolar disorder, mania, or dysthymia) and five age-related chronic physical conditions (arthritis, back pain, diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension) on presenteeism (as indicated by self-reported activity limitations at work), and (ii) examine how mood disorders interact with each physical condition to affect this work outcome.

Methods: Using Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) data, we modeled the relationships between self-reported restrictions at work and each health condition. We then calculated synergy indices (SI) for the interaction between mood disorders and each of the five physical conditions.

The effectiveness of soft-tissue therapy for the management of musculoskeletal disorders and injuries of the upper and lower extremities: A systematic review by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury management (OPTIMa) collaboration.

Background: Soft-tissue therapy is commonly used to manage musculoskeletal injuries.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of soft-tissue therapy for the management of musculoskeletal disorders and injuries of the upper and lower extremities.

Design: Systematic Review.

Stigma, HIV and health: a qualitative synthesis.

Background: HIV-related stigma continues to negatively impact the health and well-being of people living with HIV, with deleterious effects on their care, treatment and quality of life. A growing body of qualitative research has documented the relationship between HIV-related stigma and health. This review aims to synthesize qualitative evidence that explored the intersections of stigma and health for people with HIV.

Are psychological interventions effective for the management of neck pain and whiplash-associated disorders? A systematic review by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration.

Background Context: In 2008, the lack of published evidence prevented the Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders (Neck Pain Task Force [NPTF]) from commenting on the effectiveness of psychological interventions for the management of neck pain.

Purpose: This study aimed to update findings of the NPTF and evaluate the effectiveness of psychological interventions for the management of neck pain and associated disorders (NAD) or whiplash-associated disorders (WAD).

Study Design/setting: This study used systematic review and best-evidence synthesis.

The Added Value of Collecting Information on Pain Experience When Predicting Time on Benefits for Injured Workers with Back Pain.

Objectives Some injured workers with work-related, compensated back pain experience a troubling course in return to work. A prediction tool was developed in an earlier study, using administrative data only. This study explored the added value of worker reported data in identifying those workers with back pain at higher risk of being on benefits for a longer period of time.