Employment and Arthritis: Making it Work

NCT ID: NCT01852851

Last Updated: 2022-06-01

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: UNKNOWN
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 528 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2013-06-30
• Study Completion Date: 2023-06-30

Brief Summary

The investigators plan to conduct a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and the cost effectiveness of an on-line eLearning program (entitled Employment and Arthritis: Making it Work) designed to help people with inflammatory arthritis stay employed. The program also includes assessments with 1) an occupational therapist, and 2) a vocational rehabilitation counsellor at the end of the program to help participants identify and obtain necessary changes at work. People from three provinces will be recruited from collaborators' patient and program recipient lists. The study group will receive the program intervention and the control group will receive "usual care" and printed educational material. All participants will be followed for five years. The effectiveness of the program at improving at work productivity and reducing work cessation will be evaluated compared to a control group receiving printed material on employment and arthritis.

Conditions

Rheumatoid Arthritis; Ankylosing Spondylitis; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic; Psoriatic Arthritis; Other Connective Tissue Diseases; Spondylarthropathy

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Intervention Group

The intervention group will participate in the on-line eLearning program, an ergonomic assessment by an Occupational Therapist and job retention vocational counselling by a Vocational Rehabilitation Counsellor

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Employment and Arthritis: Making it Work

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

A ten week on-line eLearning program designed to help people with inflammatory arthritis stay employed. The program consists of 1) 5 interactive web-based eLearning modules that participants will complete individually in between the weekly group sessions, 2) 5 weekly group sessions conducted as virtual real-time web-based group meetings led by a trained facilitator, 3) asynchronous communications such as a message board to facilitate additional interactions among participants, 4) consultations with an occupational therapist (in-person)for an ergonomic assessment, and a vocational rehabilitation counsellor (on-line consultation using web technology) for job retention vocational counselling.

Control Group

The control group will receive "usual care" and receive printed educational materials about work and arthritis.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Employment and Arthritis: Making it Work

A ten week on-line eLearning program designed to help people with inflammatory arthritis stay employed. The program consists of 1) 5 interactive web-based eLearning modules that participants will complete individually in between the weekly group sessions, 2) 5 weekly group sessions conducted as virtual real-time web-based group meetings led by a trained facilitator, 3) asynchronous communications such as a message board to facilitate additional interactions among participants, 4) consultations with an occupational therapist (in-person)for an ergonomic assessment, and a vocational rehabilitation counsellor (on-line consultation using web technology) for job retention vocational counselling.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Between ages 18 and 59 years
• Able to read and write English
• Have inflammatory arthritis confirmed by a rheumatologist (Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic, Psoriatic Arthritis, Other Connective Tissue Diseases and Spondylarthropathy)
• Have access to a computer, a web-cam, a headset and a printer, or willingness to purchase these items
• Are willing to travel to Vancouver, Kelowna, Victoria, Prince Rupert, Prince George, Cranbrook or Kamloops, Calgary, Toronto, Newmarket or Brampton for one visit with an occupational therapist

Exclusion Criteria

• Individuals who are not working
• Individuals on sick leave, short term or long term work disability
• Students
• People performing unpaid work such as volunteer work or taking care of family
• People planning to retire in the next six years
• Individuals unable to provide informed consent
• Individuals living outside of British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 59 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Toronto

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Calgary

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Simon Fraser University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of British Columbia

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Diane Lacaille

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Diane Lacaille, MD, FRCPC, MHSc

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of British Columbia and Arthritis Research Centre

Locations

Arthritis Research Centre

Richmond, British Columbia, Canada

Countries

Canada

References

Carruthers EC, Rogers P, Backman CL, Goldsmith CH, Gignac MA, Marra C, Village J, Li LC, Esdaile JM, Lacaille D. "Employment and arthritis: making it work" a randomized controlled trial evaluating an online program to help people with inflammatory arthritis maintain employment (study protocol). BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2014 Jul 21;14:59. doi: 10.1186/1472-6947-14-59.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 25043631 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

H11-03527

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id