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ISSN 1051-9815 (P)
ISSN 1875-9270 (E)
Impact Factor 2024: 1.7
WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation is an interdisciplinary, international journal which publishes high quality peer-reviewed manuscripts covering the entire scope of the occupation of work. The journal's subtitle has been deliberately laid out: The first goal is the prevention of illness, injury, and disability. When this goal is not achievable, the attention focuses on assessment to design client-centered intervention, rehabilitation, treatment, or controls that use scientific evidence to support best practice.
WORK occasionally publishes thematic issues, but in general, issues cover a wide range of topics such as ergonomic considerations with children, youth and students, the challenges facing an aging workforce, workplace violence, injury management, performing artists, ergonomic product evaluations, and the awareness of the political, cultural, and environmental determinants of health related to work.
Dr. Karen Jacobs, the founding editor, and her editorial board especially encourage the publication of research studies, clinical practice, case study reports, as well as personal narratives and critical reflections of lived work experiences (autoethnographic/autobiographic scholarship),
Sounding Board commentaries and
Speaking of Research articles which provide the foundation for better understanding research to facilitate knowledge dissemination.
Narrative Reflections on Occupational Transitions, a new column, is for persons who have successfully transitioned into, between, or out of occupations to tell their stories in a narrative form. With an internationally renowned editorial board,
WORK maintains high standards in the evaluation and publication of manuscripts. All manuscripts are reviewed expeditiously and published in a timely manner.
WORK prides itself on being an author-friendly journal.
WORK celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2015.
*WORK is affiliated with the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT)* *WORK is endorsed by the International Ergonomics Association (IEA)* *WORK gives out the yearly Cheryl Bennett Best Paper Award*
Abstract: Background: In Hong Kong, the Employees' Compensation Ordinance (ECO), based on the model of the English Workmen's Compensation Act 1943, establishes a no-fault, non-contributory system for work injuries. It focuses merely on the minimum social expectation in compensating injured workers in monetary terms, but does not place much emphasis on prevention, rehabilitation and return to work polices for workers with injury. There is a need to reform an effective and comprehensive occupational rehabilitation system for workers…with work injury in Hong Kong. Methods: This paper presents a case study of a worker with work injury undergoing occupational rehabilitation through services provided in the local community setting by the Hong Kong Workers' Health Centre. Results: The case study highlights some crucial factors and/or intervention modalities in facilitating workers' return to work, including timely intervention, work-site based rehabilitation, communication among different stakeholders, dynamics of company, rehabilitation counselling, community integration and individualized work resettlement. Conclusion: Without reviewing and revamping the current ECO, the goal to provide timely and effective occupational rehabilitation services for workers with injury could not be fully achieved.
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Keywords: Return to work, work readiness, case management
Abstract: The objective of this paper is to compare social policy on occupational rehabilitation services in two mega industrial cities in southern China: Hong Kong and Guangzhou. Comparative policy study was employed as the research and analytical method in this paper. Aim, finance, target, coverage, organization and administration, service delivery and provision of the occupational rehabilitation policy and its linkages with industrial injury compensation system and re-employment policy in the two cities were critically…reviewed and compared. The results of the study reflect that the Guangzhou policy is more aggressive and more tailor-made to the specific needs of occupational rehabilitation compared to the Hong Kong policy, whereas occupational rehabilitation in Hong Kong has long been developed and knowledge and skills in the occupational rehabilitation service are more mature and fruitful. Based on the research findings, it is concluded that through experience sharing and exchange, there will be more mutual understanding regarding the system, practice, success, faults and limitations in the two cities, as well as awareness of alternative courses of action. These will help in the better development of occupational rehabilitation services with the aims to safeguard the rights and wellbeing of workers in both cities.
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Keywords: Comparative policy study, occupational rehabilitation policy in China and Hong Kong
Abstract: Two years after the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong, 128 healthcare workers continued to present with musculoskeletal complaints and 38 workers were diagnosed with avascular necrosis (AVN) in different joints. 13 healthcare workers were referred to six designated Physiotherapy Departments of the Hospital Authority for a tailor-made standardized Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) from 2004 to 2005 on a voluntary basis. Job analysis, workers' self-perceived disability and functional capacity, non-material handling tests, and…the cardiopulmonary fitness test were performed. Retrospective review of the FCE data showed that there were 17 AVN of hips, 16 AVN of knees, 3 AVN of shoulders. All patients had AVN of lower limb joints. Nearly full ranges of movement (ROM) were observed in the knees involved, but the hip range was decreased for most subjects suffering from hip AVNs. Most workers (n=12) could not complete the cardiopulmonary test due to intolerable joint pain. Six workers' self-perceived physical demands level (PDC) matched with the physical demands level identified by the FCE. 12 healthcare workers attained a sedentary physical demands level and were unable to match with their previous job demands. One staff was classified as light physical demands and managed his original duty. Four workers had returned to work at the time FCE was performed. The tailor-made FCE added information to facilitate the return-to-work planning for the staff. Four more workers returned to work with modified duties one year after the FCE.
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Abstract: Objective: To describe the epidemiology and re-employment outcomes of employees with industrial injuries and provide further information for the prevention of industrial injuries and work rehabilitation with the purpose of lower injury rate and cost savings. Method: Learn about epidemiology and re-employment status by investigating 467 employees separately when in hospital and half a year after leaving hospital. The investigation form is designed according to the Classification Criterion of Employee's Casualty Accident (UDC658.382 GB6441-86)…and local industrial injury status. Results: Employees with industrial injuries have obvious regional characteristics in aspects such as sex composition, age, position of injury, injury causes, injury type, and vocation before suffering injury, level of education, degree of disability, employment wishes, and actual employment status. Conclusions: Industrial injury presents obvious characteristics in epidemiology. Therefore, it should take respective characteristics into consideration when conducting prevention of industrial injury and work rehabilitation.
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Keywords: Industrial injuries, epidemiology, return to work
Abstract: Pneumoconiosis is one of the major occupational health problems in China and increasing numbers of migrant workers suffered from this occupational disease after working in a dusty environment for few years. These migrant workers panicked after being diagnosed as suffering from pneumoconiosis and facing physiological disturbances including progressive dyspnea, respiratory failure or complications like silico-tuberculosis after their return to their rural village. This article reviews the preliminary results of a community rehabilitation…pilot project conducted in a rural village in Guizhou, one of the provinces in southwest China. It shares the joint effort of professionals from Guangdong Province and Hong Kong SAR on supporting the migrant workers to manage and cope with this occupational disease. Finally, strategies including early intervention were suggested to help migrant workers to manage the disease. Most importantly, occupational health promotion and prevention were urged as the measures of utmost importance in reducing the risk for migrant workers suffering from pneumoconiosis.
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Keywords: Pneumoconiosis, community rehabilitation, migrant workers
Abstract: This article is a summary of an action research exploring the strategies to initiate the occupational rehabilitation and community re-integration of migrant workers with work injuries in Guangdong Province, China. Using two cases of rehabilitation intervention for workers with work injury, a case management model of occupational rehabilitation and community re-integration was illustrated, in the different phases of rehabilitation. Finally, some key elements in supporting occupational rehabilitation and community re-integration for migrant…workers with work injury in China were highlighted.
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Keywords: Occupational rehabilitation, community re-integration, work injury
Abstract: The present study aims to explore the case management model by using problem solving skills in assisting workers with injuries in returning to work. A total of five workers with injuries were enrolled and there were four stages during the whole case management process including a medical rehabilitation stage (stage I), a compensation stage (stage II), a return to work stage (stage III) and a follow-up stage (stage IV) respectively. Case managers provided services by using…problem solving skills to tackle the problems which workers with injuries may encounter during all four stages. Outcome measurement showed one case return to the same company same job, two returns to different companies and different jobs, the others have self employed work. This study suggested that case management using the problem solving skills of occupational rehabilitation was beneficial to workers with injuries on return to work.
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Keywords: Occupational rehabilitation, work injury, case management, problem solving
Abstract: As China has gradually transformed from agricultural economy into industrial economy since 1978, occupational injuries and diseases become a serious social problem in China. For occupational rehabilitation professionals, helping workers with occupational injuries and diseases, return to work and re-integrate to community are the ultimate goals of occupational rehabilitation. This article reports a new indigenous initiative with cultural notions in occupational rehabilitation piloted by Guangdong Provincial Rehabilitation Center. Case studies reflected that…by learning and practicing traditional Chinese paper cutting, workers with occupational injury and disease could regain their self confidence, identity their strengths, learn more vocational skills as well as to re-integrate into community.
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Keywords: Occupational rehabilitation, work, Chinese paper cutting
Abstract: This paper aims to describe the current situation of the work injury rehabilitation system in China with its drawbacks, especially relating to the employment services for workers with injuries and bringing up the topic of the need for more work to attempt to construct a modern work injury occupational rehabilitation system: perfecting the administration mechanism of policy, establishing an occupational rehabilitation pattern with Chinese characteristics, establishing the socialization service network as the core of…occupational rehabilitation and establishing a practical professional team and academic communication platform. These creative thoughts may shed light on the development of the work injury rehabilitation system as well as the return to work for workers with injuries in China.
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Keywords: Work injury rehabilitation, return to work, compensation system
Abstract: This paper aims to describe the current Work Injury Rehabilitation (WIR) System in China with its background, basic principles and the attempts to explore and build up different types of WIR system in different areas in China in accordance with the existing situation. Seven points taken as the focus of perfecting and building up new WIR have been presented: the study and formulation of an overall development plan for the WIR system in China, improving WIR…policy, establishing a system of standards for WIR, improving the administration system for WIR, developing a WIR service system, strengthening the training of professional staff for WIR, conducting scientific study and international cooperation for WIR. These points may serve as guidelines for future development of the WIR system in China.
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Keywords: Work injury rehabilitation, system, policy
Abstract: Work injury rehabilitation is a new concept in Mainland China. In 2001, the first work injury rehabilitation centre was established in Guangzhou under the management of the Guanghzhou Bureau of Labour and Security. This paper reviews the profile of a cohort of workers with injuries who received rehabilitation services at this centre. The changes in the physical capacity, daily function, and quality of life of the workers with injuries before and after the treatment services were…also reviewed. A total of 380 were extracted from the database which occupied 79% of the total patient population admitted to the centre between 2003 to 2004. The assessment results suggested that workers with injuries showed increases in physical capacity in terms of the range of motion, muscle strength and walking tolerance. The daily functioning by using Barthel Index was also improved. Quality of life assessed with the WHOQOL also demonstrated an increase in the physical and psychological domains. Work injury rehabilitation in Guangzhou is at its infancy stage. The cooperation between the rehabilitation centre, employers and workers is of the utmost importance for a successful return to work outcome. The workers' compensation and rehabilitation policy also dictates the future of success of the rehabilitation services.
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Abstract: This study attempts to formulate a prediction model of return to work for a group of workers who have been suffering from chronic pain and physical injury while also being out of work in Hong Kong. The study used Case-based Reasoning (CBR) method, and compared the result with the statistical method of logistic regression model. The database of the algorithm of CBR was composed of 67 cases who were also used in the logistic regression model. The…testing cases were 32 participants who had a similar background and characteristics to those in the database. The methods of setting constraints and Euclidean distance metric were used in CBR to search the closest cases to the trial case based on the matrix. The usefulness of the algorithm was tested on 32 new participants, and the accuracy of predicting return to work outcomes was 62.5%, which was no better than the 71.2% accuracy derived from the logistic regression model. The results of the study would enable us to have a better understanding of the CBR applied in the field of occupational rehabilitation by comparing with the conventional regression analysis. The findings would also shed light on the development of relevant interventions for the return-to-work process of these workers.
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Abstract: Objectives: A systematic review was conducted on the literature regarding the development of work rehabilitation in Mainland China. Method: Two databases, one in Chinese and one in English, were used for searching reports published between 1994 and 2004 on work rehabilitation services provided in medical institutions to patients with disability associated with various types of injuries. Results: A total of 66 papers were identified, and only 14 studies matched the inclusion criteria for this review. There was…strong evidence that work rehabilitation services provided in the medical institutions for disability were underdeveloped in Mainland China; and misunderstandings of work rehabilitation were widespread. Conclusions: Work rehabilitation is still a fairly new concept in Mainland China. The importance of work rehabilitation is not considered/realized in medical institutions during the process of medical treatment and rehabilitation. Further studies on work rehabilitation provided in medical institutions should be conducted to develop appropriate local technologies and services for the patients.
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Keywords: Development, work rehabilitation, medical institution, disability, rehabilitation
Abstract: Objectives: This paper aims to explore the effects of demographic and social factors for those suffering from work-related injuries with musculoskeletal disorders and their employment status after discharge within three months. Method: The employment status and compensation-related information was caught by adopting telephone follow up with the designated data collection questionnaire; other demographic characteristic and social factors were obtained by reviewing injured workers' original admission records. Results: In total sixty-eight injured workers…were involved with a 67.6% return to work rate. Time of hospitalization (t=2.34, p=0.02) and area of registered residence (x^{2} =8.37, p=0.02) significant differences were found between the return to work group and non-return to work group. The only predictor found by using Logistic Regression analysis was the length of hospitalization (OR=0.978, 95%CI: 0.959–0.998). Conclusions: The shorter the length of hospitalization during the rehabilitation process, the greater the rate of return to work for those workers suffering from work-related injuries with musculoskeletal disorders.
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Keywords: Factors, return to work, injured worker, musculoskeletal disorders
