RETAINWORKS Program for Disability

Overseen By Amaka Osuoha, MPH

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.

Disqualifiers: SSDI, SSI benefits, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Approved in 1 Jurisdiction This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

4000 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a program called RETAINWORKS, designed to assist individuals with injuries or illnesses that make working difficult. The program aims to improve job outcomes by providing medical, return-to-work, and other support services. Participants will either receive the full RETAINWORKS program or just information and referrals. Suitable candidates have a condition affecting their job, such as a new injury or a flare-up of a chronic issue, and live or work in Kansas. As an unphased trial, participants can benefit from personalized support services to enhance their work life.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It is best to consult with the trial coordinators or your healthcare provider for guidance.

What prior data suggests that the RETAINWORKS program is safe for participants?

Research has shown that the RETAINWORKS program helps individuals return to work after injury or illness. The program provides services to support staying at work or returning to work. As RETAINWORKS is a support service rather than a medical treatment, specific safety data is not available. However, programs like RETAINWORKS aim to assist individuals in managing their health conditions while working. No safety concerns or negative effects have been reported from participating in these types of programs. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the RETAINWORKS program because it takes a unique approach to addressing disability-related challenges, particularly in the workplace. Unlike traditional treatments that might focus solely on physical rehabilitation or medication, RETAINWORKS offers a comprehensive intervention that combines personalized activities and support strategies tailored to the individual's needs. This holistic approach aims to not only improve physical capabilities but also enhance overall well-being and workplace integration, which could lead to more sustained and meaningful improvements for individuals with disabilities.

What evidence suggests that the RETAINWORKS program is effective for improving employment outcomes for individuals at risk of exiting the labor force due to injury or illness?

In this trial, participants in the RETAINWORKS Program will receive a comprehensive set of intervention activities aimed at helping individuals stay at work or return to work after injury or illness. A previous study showed early success of RETAIN programs in improving job outcomes. Initial findings suggest that participants achieve better job results compared to non-participants. The program combines medical assistance with coordination services to support job retention. This approach has demonstrated effectiveness in helping individuals remain employed and reducing the need for disability support. ^{1 2 3 5 6}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Jill Berk, PhD

Principal Investigator

Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

The RETAINWORKS trial is for individuals aged 18-65 in Kansas who are employed or seeking employment and have a new or worsening health condition affecting their work. Conditions may include musculoskeletal injuries, mental health issues, chronic diseases like diabetes, COPD, CHF, among others. Participants must not be receiving or applying for SSDI/SSI benefits due to the injury or illness.

Inclusion Criteria

My condition is new or a worsening chronic issue affecting my work.

Has a work disability defined as an injury, illness, or medical condition that inhibits or prevents continued employment

My disability affects my ability to work or be productive at work.

Exclusion Criteria

May NOT have application for SSDI or SSI benefits pending or already receiving such benefits at the onset of the injury or illness

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Initial Intake and Randomization

Participants undergo initial intake by a nurse navigator and are randomly assigned to either the treatment or control group

1 week

Intervention

The experimental group receives the full set of RETAINWORKS intervention activities, including SAW/RTW coordination services and workplace-based interventions

12 months

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for employment outcomes and application for SSDI or SSI during the 12 months after enrollment

12 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• RETAINWORKS

Trial Overview

RETAINWORKS aims to help people with disabilities stay in the workforce by providing medical services and coordination support. The study will assess how well these services work in Kansas by looking at participants' job retention and productivity after they receive assistance from the program.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: RETAIN Programming Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The experimental group receives the full set of RETAINWORKS intervention activities.

Group II: Control Active Control 1 Intervention

The control group receives information and referral to partner services.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.

Lead Sponsor

Trials

68

Recruited

31,130,000+

The United States Social Security Administration

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

4,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The articles highlight the potential for early intervention strategies to help workers with medical conditions avoid prolonged work disability, based on analyses of disability claims data and case studies from 50 employers.

By improving systems to identify and support these workers promptly, stakeholders can significantly influence their job retention and overall outcomes, suggesting a need for evidence-based interventions in the workplace.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Opportunities for Early Intervention to Avoid Prolonged Work Disability: Introduction to the Special Section. Ben-Shalom, Y., Schimmel Hyde, J.[2019]

The RETAIN Kentucky program, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, aims to help individuals with non-work-related injuries and illnesses return to work or stay employed, utilizing RTW Coordinators for support.

After nearly 3 years of Phase 1, the program is transitioning to Phase 2, which will last 30 months and build on the insights gained to improve employment retention strategies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

RETAIN Kentucky: A return-to-work and stay-at-work program for people with disabilities grounded in the conservation of resources theory. Rumrill, P., Sheppard-Jones, K., Collett, JW., et al.[2022]

The study presents a new framework for analyzing how health service spending and utilization in work disability management varies across different regions and settings, emphasizing the importance of high-quality healthcare access for effective disability management.

By identifying predisposing, enabling, workplace environment, and need-based factors, the framework aims to help researchers and policymakers understand and improve health care delivery within work disability management systems, particularly in Canada.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Framework for Understanding How Variation in Health Care Service Delivery Affects Work Disability Management. Sharpe, K., McGrail, K., Mustard, C., et al.[2022]

A systematic review of 9 trials involving employees on work absence for at least 4 weeks found that return to work (RTW) coordination programs led to a small but significant increase in the likelihood of patients returning to work compared to usual practice, with a risk ratio of 1.08.

RTW coordination also resulted in modest improvements in overall function, physical function, mental function, and pain levels, suggesting that while the effects are small, they may be clinically meaningful for patients at risk of long-term disability.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Return to work coordination programmes for work disability: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Schandelmaier, S., Ebrahim, S., Burkhardt, SC., et al.[2021]

A conference with 26 international researchers focused on improving research into employer strategies for managing workplace disability, highlighting the need for innovative interventions and better measurement of disability outcomes.

Six key research domains were identified for future studies, including understanding workplace factors that mitigate disability, developing interventions, and ensuring diverse representation of workers and employers in research.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Employer Policies and Practices to Manage and Prevent Disability: Foreword to the Special Issue. Shaw, WS., Main, CJ., Pransky, G., et al.[2022]

Approximately 65% of injured workers successfully returned to employment after participating in a return to work program, with significant factors influencing success including gender, motivation, and employer interest.

Workers from interested employers were 23 times more likely to return to work, while those whose intervention lasted over 5 months were 41% less likely to return compared to those with interventions of 3 months or less, highlighting the importance of timely and supportive employer engagement.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Return-to-Work Program for Injured Workers: Factors of Successful Return to Employment. Awang, H., Shahabudin, SM., Mansor, N.[2018]

The study involved 20 working-age individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) who had been employed for over 28 months, revealing how they manage their condition in the workplace through different 'timespace' strategies.

Participants identified two main types of chronotopes—'unsustainable epic' and 'temporary idyll'—which reflect their experiences of time and space in relation to work, suggesting that managerial support can significantly impact their ability to cope and retain employment.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Tortoise or hare? Supporting the chronotope preference of employees with fluctuating chronic illness symptoms. Thompson, L., Ford, H., Stroud, A., et al.[2019]

Employers with more resources and better communication skills are generally more effective at providing accommodations for employees with disabilities, which helps in retaining them in the workforce.

However, the study found that employers do not consistently apply these resources, as individual employee factors like tenure, performance, and the severity of health conditions also significantly influence accommodation decisions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Employers' Perspectives on Accommodating and Retaining Employees with Newly Acquired Disabilities: An Exploratory Study. Gould-Werth, A., Morrison, K., Ben-Shalom, Y.[2019]

A study of 1850 patients with chronic disabling occupational musculoskeletal disorders found that older age, female sex, and extreme disability at admission were significant predictors of failing to retain work one year after treatment.

Other notable risk factors included nonworking status at discharge, antisocial personality disorder, receiving government disability benefits, and dependence on opiate pain medications, which can help tailor individualized treatment plans for better outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Prediction of failure to retain work 1 year after interdisciplinary functional restoration in occupational injuries. Brede, E., Mayer, TG., Gatchel, RJ.[2012]

Citations

1.

dol.gov

dol.gov/resource-library/retaining-employment-and-talent-after-injuryillness-network-retain-impact

Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness ...

The RETAIN demonstration project is designed to test early intervention Stay-at-Work/Return-to-Work (SAW/RTW) strategies to improve labor force participation, ...

2.

dol.gov

dol.gov/agencies/odep/initiatives/saw-rtw/retain

Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness ...

RETAIN programs implement early intervention strategies to improve stay-at-work/return-to-work (SAW/RTW) outcomes of individuals who experience a work ...

3.

mathematica.org

mathematica.org/publications/retain-demonstration-impacts-two-months-after-enrollment

The Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness ...

This report presents the five RETAIN programs' early impacts on enrollee service use, employment, and health; it is the first of two reports on ...

4.

ssa.gov

ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/retain.htm

Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness ...

The RETAIN evaluation is a mixed-methods demonstration and both qualitative (ie, in-depth interview data) and quantitative data (ie, baseline intake surveys)

5.

retainworks.org

retainworks.org/

RETAINWORKS

RETAINWORKS provides opportunities to improve SAW/RTW outcomes for individuals with both employment-related and non-employment-related injuries and illnesses.

6.

clinicaltrials.gov

clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05167981

NCT05167981 | RETAINWORKS Impact Evaluation

Data sources include enrollment data, surveys, administrative records, program data, and qualitative data. Official Title. One-Year Impact Evaluation of ...