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  • What We're Working On
Arthritis and Employment: Making it Work!
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Why do this research?

This research is a natural extension of our previous studies on Work Disability (WD), which led to the development of a novel intervention to help people with inflammatory arthritis maintain employment. This unique program, called Making it Work TM , was created to improve an aspect of disease management that is too often ignored by health care professionals – the management of employment issues. It fills an important gap in the health care services available for people with arthritis, and has a great potential for improving quality of life and reducing the large indirect cost of arthritis. We have converted our self-management program into a web-based program so that the benefits can be offered to a larger number of people with rheumatoid arthritis.

For the program to be implemented widely, further testing has been necessary to demonstrate its effectiveness at preventing work cessation and improving at-work productivity loss. In this study, we have used a randomized controlled trial design to test the effectiveness and cost-utility of our web-based program compared to a control group receiving usual care.

Our program is unique worldwide in that it combines the benefits of video conferencing group sessions focused on improving self-management, with assessments by health professionals specifically addressing employment. The web-based technology for delivery of the program is at the leading edge of trends in the field of adult education and self-management. This research is one of few initiatives worldwide to develop and test the effectiveness of interventions specifically targeted at employment. In this age of evidence-based health care delivery, the highest level of evidence, provided by a randomized control-led trial (RCT), has been needed for our research to translate into a new service offered to people with arthritis.

The Research Team

Co-investigators

  • Catherine Backman – PhD, OT, FCAOT. Research Scientist, Arthritis Research Canada; Professor and Head, Department of Occupational Science, University of British Columbia
  • John Esdaile – MD, MPH, FRCPC. Scientific Director, Arthritis Research Canada; Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of British Columbia
  • Monique Gignac – PhD. Research Scientist, University Health Network, University of Toronto; Associate Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto; Adjunct Scientist, Institute for Work and Health, Toronto; Co-Scientific Director, Canadian Arthritis Network
  • Linda Li – BSc(PT), MSc, PhD. Senior Research Scientist, Arthritis Research Canada; Associate Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia
  • Carlo Marra – PharmD, PhD, FCSHP. Research Scientist, Arthritis Research Canada; Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia

Research Staff

  • Pam A Rogers – MA, Research Coordinator, Arthritis Research Canada
  • Alex Kwok – MSc, Research Assistant, Arthritis Research Canada

Collaborators

  • Arthritis Consumer Experts – Cheryl Koehn; Arthritis Patient Advisory Board – Pam Montie, Otto Kamensek, Nadia Prestley; Contact; Recruitment for this study is now complete. If you would like more information about this study, please contact us atmakingitwork@arthritisresearch.ca.

Who Funded This Research?

This research is funded by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

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