Qualitative evaluation of an occupational therapy led vocational rehabilitation service for people with arthritis; the therapist’s perspective.

Introduction: The socio-economic implications for individuals being out of work, places a large amount of pressure on an already struggling Irish economy. Costs incurred as a result of musculoskeletal disorders affect not only the person but the employer, the health system, the social welfare system and therefore have a wider societal cost. While barriers exist that prevent people from remaining in or returning to work there are also structures in place that help support the breakdown of these barriers. The ‘Working with Arthritis: Strategies and Solutions’ program was an occupational therapy (OT) led vocational rehabilitation (VR) program aimed at supporting people with arthritis to access, remain in or return to work. Method: Adopting a qualitative research design, a focus group and in-depth interviews were carried out with three occupational therapists (OTs) who facilitated the VR program. The study explored their perspective of the barriers and enablers people with arthritis experience when remaining in or returning to work, within the Irish context. Data collected was analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: Five main themes emerged including; (1) the influence of health professionals on return to work, (2) navigating employment supports, (3) living in areas of greater disadvantage, (4) clients personal characteristics, and (5) how the ‘Working with Arthritis’ program supported clients workability. Conclusion: The findings of this research indicate that VR is an area not routinely addressed by healthcare professionals. It is important that VR is supported by a multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach to ensure clients have the greatest opportunity for success when returning to work.