Department of Psychology, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Dr., Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, Canada.
J Occup Rehabil. 2019 Mar;29(1):104-118. doi: 10.1007/s10926-018-9768-8.
Purpose During return to work (RTW), communication between health care providers and employers largely takes place through standardize paper-based forms. Information technology (IT) platforms may provide advantages in enabling information exchange and decision-making through sharing of guidelines and resources. We investigated stakeholder perspectives on the prospect of IT use for RTW communication in Ontario, Canada. Methods Consistent with the exploratory nature of the questions, qualitative methods were used. Primary data were interviews with health care providers (HCPs), employers, and workers with experience in RTW. The first portion of initial interviews elicited general perspectives and experiences related to RTW communication. Participants were then exposed to a prototype IT communication platform and elicited their feedback. Follow-up interviews with HCP's and EMP's were used to allow further reflection and clarification of data. We used progressive, thematic coding to analyze data. Results 12 HCPs, 7 employers, and 5 workers participated in the study. Five inter-related themes were obtained. Participants expressed no absolute objection to the use of IT for RTW communication but varying degrees of support. Participants revealed how media change depended on a prospective IT innovation's perceived usefulness, fit with current practices, capacity to gain buy-in from other stakeholders, and ability to demonstrate positive performance in actual practice. Conclusions Findings suggest that a transition to an IT-mediated tool for RTW communication is supported in principle; however, major caveats exist in relation to perceived value and fit with stakeholder practice. System support and stakeholder cooperation are likely necessary to adopt the change, yet IT-mediated communication has yet to demonstrate value. To avoid circularity, proof of principal needs to be established through an implementation trial of such technology.
在重返工作岗位（RTW）期间，医疗保健提供者和雇主之间的沟通主要通过标准化的纸质表格进行。信息技术（IT）平台可以通过共享指南和资源来提供信息交换和决策的优势。我们调查了利益相关者对加拿大安大略省使用 IT 进行 RTW 沟通的前景的看法。
根据问题的探索性质，采用了定性方法。主要数据是对有 RTW 经验的医疗保健提供者（HCP）、雇主和工人的访谈。最初访谈的第一部分引出了与 RTW 沟通相关的一般观点和经验。然后，让参与者接触 IT 通信平台原型，并征求他们的反馈意见。对 HCP 和 EMP 的后续访谈用于进一步反思和澄清数据。我们使用渐进式主题编码来分析数据。
12 名 HCP、7 名雇主和 5 名工人参加了这项研究。获得了五个相互关联的主题。参与者对使用 IT 进行 RTW 沟通表示没有绝对反对，但支持程度不同。参与者揭示了媒体的变化取决于预期的 IT 创新的实用性、与当前实践的契合度、获得其他利益相关者认可的能力以及在实际实践中展示积极绩效的能力。
研究结果表明，原则上支持向 IT 介导的 RTW 沟通工具过渡；然而，在感知价值和与利益相关者实践的契合度方面存在重大问题。系统支持和利益相关者合作可能是采用这种变革的必要条件，而 IT 介导的沟通尚未证明其价值。为了避免循环论证，需要通过该技术的实施试验来确立原理证明。
