Workplace accommodations following work-related mild traumatic brain injury: what works?

Abstract

Background: Individuals who have experienced a work-related mild traumatic brain injury face a variety of challenges when returning to work. Research has demonstrated that the implementation of workplace accommodations can reduce the incidence of workplace disability. Few studies investigate work-related mild traumatic brain injury from injured workers’ perspectives, and none examine workplace accommodations in detail.

Purpose: This study explores the types of accommodations that individuals receive, and the factors that influence how they are provided and to whom.

Materials and methods: This study is a qualitative secondary data analysis of 12 telephone interviews. ATLAS.ti software was used to facilitate coding and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data.

Results: This study makes explicit various accommodations identified as being useful or required by individuals on return to work. Participants identified a gradual return to work, and modified duties, among other accommodations. Components of the workplace social and structural environment, and the occupational context influenced how accommodations were provided and to whom.

Conclusions: Obtaining appropriate support is of great importance to injured employees, their employers, insurers, and healthcare providers. Stakeholders should be aware of how to successfully identify and access appropriate workplace accommodations to support injured workers on return to work.

Implications for rehabilitation

•    Return to Work Accommodations

•   • Workplace accommodations reduce the incidence of workplace disability.

•   • Workplace accommodations can be formal or informal.

•   • Participants identified a gradual return to work, modified duties, self-directed compensatory strategies, and allowances for medical appointments, among other accommodations, as being useful or required.

•   • Stakeholders, including healthcare providers involved in rehabilitation, should be aware of how to successfully identify and implement these accommodations to ensure injured workers are supported on return to work.

Keywords:

• Brain injuries
• traumatic
• return to work
• workers’ compensation
• rehabilitation
• vocational
• workplace accommodations

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the individuals who participated in this study for sharing their experiences and knowledge regarding the work that they do, the challenges they experience, and their strength and dedication to their professions. The authors would also like to thank Sandra Sokoloff for the editorial support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) – Institute for Gender and Health Grant [#OGW-123786]. We also acknowledge the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Foundation – UHN and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, which provided funding under the Provincial Rehabilitation Research Program to the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network. Support for Dr. Colantonio was provided by the CIHR Research Chair in Gender, Work and Health [#CGW-126580] and the Saunderson Family Chair in Acquired Brain Injury Research at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute.