Cooperation for Primary Care Patients on Sick Leave for CMD: Care Manager and Workplace Intervention - CO-WORK-CARE

Overview

This study aims to evaluate whether a convergence dialogue during sick leave, between the employee and the employer, with the Primary Care Centre Rehab Coordinator as discussion leader, leads to reduced sick leave time compared to those individuals who only have contact with a Care Manager during the period of sick leave. The study will be performed as a randomised controlled trial with randomisation at the PCC level where intervention PCCs offers a convergence dialogue meeting with the work place representative during sick leave in addition to Care Manager contact.

In Sweden sick leave time and frequency are increasing. This is primarily in the area of common mental disorders (CMD), and CMD is now the most common single cause of sickness absence. Primary care is the area in which most individuals with mental illness seek care and also receive care. A Care Manager function at the primary care centre (PCC) where the Care Manager is responsible for the support and close contact with patients with CMD and act as the "spider in the web" and combine patient support with other measures, have been shown to have beneficial effects for depression course. In Region Västra Götaland an implementation of the Care Manager function at the PCC has been set out, and the function is now available in nearly 100 PCCs in the region. The present study aims to evaluate whether a convergence dialogue during sick leave, between the employee and the employer, with the PCCs Rehab Coordinator as discussion leader, leads to reduced sick leave time compared to those individuals who only have contact with the Care Manager during the period of sick leave. The study will be performed as pragmatic randomised controlled trial with randomisation at the PCC level. Around 20 PCCs with a Care Manager function for patients on sick-leave with CMD diagnosis will be recruited and randomized to intervention where patients in addition to a Care Manager contact (12 weeks) will have one convergence dialogue meeting with the work place representative during sick leave. Control PCCs will give Care Manager contact 12 weeks only.