Creating Successful Rehabilitation Partnerships Between Health Professionals and Employers

Abstract

AbstractSuccessful rehabilitation outcomes rest on the quality of the links among multiple stakeholders. However, the literature has increasingly recognised the challenges in creating effective partnerships between stakeholders such as external health professionals, employers and injured workers. This study presents findings from an industry-directed project aimed at investigating the links between external health professionals and the employer in relation to return-to-work rehabilitation. Semistructured interviews were conducted with general practitioners (GPs), psychologists, and organisation-based rehabilitation personnel. Findings indicated several major points of consideration to facilitate health professional and employer partnerships, including educating stakeholders about organisational rehabilitation services and key contact personnel within the organisation, establishing standard communication protocols, understanding organisational culture and providing explicit organisational support for the rehabilitation process. To ensure appropriate and timely outcomes for injured workers, the current findings highlight the proactive and educative role that employers must assume when acting in partnership for rehabilitation.