Affiliations: [a]
Scientific Institute, I.R.C.C.S “E. Medea”, Lecco, Italy
| [b] Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| [c] Institute of Intelligent Industrial Technologies and Systems for Advanced Manufacturing, National Research Council, Lecco, Italy
| [d] Department of Pure and Applied Sciences, Insubria University, Varese, Italy
| [e] Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| [f]
National Institute for Insurance Against Accidents at Work, Bologna, Italy
Correspondence:
[*]
Address for correspondence: Luca Negri, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milano, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy. E-mail:luca.negri@unimi.it.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Employment is an essential component of life as it provides income, sense of engagement and opportunities for personal development. Unemployment due to disability following an accident may have dramatic social and psychological consequences on individuals; it is thus fundamental to foster return to work of these persons. OBJECTIVE:The present work was aimed to develop a methodology determining suitable jobs for people living with disability after a job-related accident. METHODS:The Occupational Information Network (O*NET) taxonomy was combined with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to match individual resources with specific job requirements. ICF Linking Rules were employed by two independent groups of researchers to associate ICF codes to O*NET skill and ability descriptors. RESULTS:O*NET descriptors were linked to 92 unique ICF codes. A “Criticality score” combining ICF and O*NET features to assess suitability of selected jobs for persons with disabilities was also proposed. CONCLUSIONS:The proposed methodology represents a novel instrument to support return to work; the capability to assess specific work-related facets through the lens of both the ICF model and O*NET taxonomy would conceivably provide vocational rehabilitation specialists and occupational therapists with a useful tool fostering job placement of workers with disability.
Keywords: International classification of functioning, disability and health, occupational information network, ICF linking rules, return to work, workers with disability
