Developing guidelines to support injured workers who live and work with chronic pain

How to facilitate guideline use? A bottom-up qualitative approach developing a training programme for professionals involved in work participation of people with a chronic disease

BACKGROUND

A guideline for occupational health professionals (OHPs) is developed which provides them with knowledge and skills to optimize their guidance to people with a chronic disease.

OBJECTIVE

Developing a training programme to acquire and apply knowledge and skills provided by the guideline, through a bottom-up approach.

METHODS

First, OHPs training needs were explored using focus groups. Second, learning objectives were formulated by the researchers. Third, experts in the field of education were interviewed to explore relevant training activities. Fourth, researchers integrated all the results into a training programme.

RESULTS

Based on the training needs identified, we formulated 17 learning objectives, e.g. being able to name influential factors and effective interventions, increase the individual client's role, and increase communication with a professionals to enhance work participation of people with a chronic disease. The training activities identified by experts for OHPs to acquire and apply knowledge and skills were: a case study, role play, discussion of best practices and interviewing stakeholders. These were all performed in plenary sessions or small groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Training needs, -activities and learning objectives were integrated into a six-hour training programme. This bottom-up approach can serve as input for others developing training programmes to transfer knowledge and skills to OHPs.