The Effectiveness of Individual Placement and Support in Chronic Pain Patients

Overview

Individual Placement and support (IPS) is an evidence-based approach originally developed to help people with severe mental disorders to obtain and maintain employment. The effectiveness of IPS for patients with severe mental illness is well documented, but has never previously been tested for patients with chronic pain. In fact, employment support is rarely provided in pain clinics, despite an increasing focus on integrating work and health in all patient treatment (OECD, 2013). The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of IPS as an integrated part of the interdisciplinary treatment for patients with chronic pain in a hospital outpatient clinic.

Individual Placement and support (IPS) is an evidence-based approach originally developed to help people with severe mental disorders to obtain and maintain employment. IPS represents a relatively new approach to vocational rehabilitation and incorporates following principles: (1) Every person that wants to work, can work given that the person is provided with the appropriate work and environment. (2)The goal is employment in regular, competitive employment. (3) IPS is integrated with treatment. (4) Job search is individualised; based on the participants' preferences and competence. (5) Work incentives planning is provided; which includes counselling about how work can influence social security and other public benefits. The intention of this benefits counselling is to enable the participant to make informed decisions about work (job starts and changes). (6) The job support is not time-limited. (7) Finally, IPS differs from more traditional employment services in that it does not involve pre-vocational training, often referred to as "train, then place". (8) In IPS job search starts as soon as the client expresses an interest in work. Therefore, IPS follows the principle "place, then train". The effectiveness of IPS for patients with severe mental illness is well documented. International research shows that IPS is more effective than other types of employment programs for this group of clients. However, the effect of IPS on patients with chronic pain in an outpatient hospital clinic is largely unknown.