Project

Occupational health care as part of the social welfare and health care system

Occupational health care is the only health care operator with a direct connection to the workplace. The connection enables a timely and supported return to work after sick leave. It also reduces costs for workplaces.

We are now investigating how work ability support measures and co-operation are implemented in the co-operation of social welfare and health care sector operators. We will also examine how occupational health care is taken into account as part of the social welfare and health care services of wellbeing services counties.

Lääkäri kuuntelee potilasta vastaanotolla

Timetable

2/2023-1/2025

Objectives

Costs related to the functional capacity and work ability of a working-age person account for the majority of illness costs. Therefore, the costs should be taken into account when assessing the total costs of illness. Costs related to functional capacity and work ability arise, in particular, from a person’s sickness absences and loss of work contribution before and after treatment, as well as possible early retirement.

Since treatment is not the only source of costs, efforts should be made to influence the costs not only after a hospitalization period, but even before it, for example, through support measures co-ordinated by occupational health care.

We will investigate how

occupational health care is taken into account as part of wellbeing services counties
occupational health care is integrated into the operations of wellbeing services counties
co-operation between occupational health care and primary health care should be developed.

Data and methods

The study is a multi-method study.

We will analyse data from the Hilmo and Avohilmo registers and supplement it with sickness allowance, rehabilitation and medicine expense reimbursement information obtained from Kela and the Finnish Centre for Pensions.
We will focus particularly on diagnoses that cause significant incapacity for work, such as depression, anxiety and some musculoskeletal disorders.
In addition, we will collect qualitative data through group interviews with wellbeing services counties operators.
We seek to answer questions about the integration of occupational health care and social welfare and health care sector operators by conducting two literature reviews and an interview study for wellbeing services counties’ occupational health care and primary health care operators.

Results and impact

We will investigate the functionality of occupational health care support measures and the steering model with the following questions:

What kinds of work ability support measures have been taken in occupational health care and primary health care before a treatment period in specialist health care?
How could occupational health care measures be improved to best support the work ability of working-age people?
Do working patients have access to the right services from the right place and at the right time?

In terms of the integration of occupational health care and social welfare and health care sector operators, we are interested in the following questions:

How are the services for working-age people structured in the wellbeing services county?
How is occupational health care currently taken into account in social welfare and health care services?
How extensive is the co-operation at the moment?
What aspects support integration? What aspects hinder it?