The WORKWELL programme: a randomised controlled trial of job retention vocational rehabilitation for people with inflammatory arthritis

Clicks: 2
ID: 321376
2026
Article Quality & Performance Metrics
Overall Quality
Not rated
Combines reader engagement with the AI quality analysis. This article has not been analysed, so there is no overall score — reader engagement is measured and shown alongside.
AI Quality Assessment
Not analyzed
Readership in this journal

Ranked #31 of 197 articles by views in Lara D. Veeken

Most read Least read

Bar heights use a square-root scale. Only the 120 most-read articles are drawn; the journal has 197 in total.

Mint this article as an NFT
Not yet minted

Create a permanent, verifiable on-chain record of this article on the Scimatic Network. The NFT is held in your Journament account, and you can withdraw it to your own wallet at any time.

5 SUSD one-off · no wallet required
Abstract
Abstract Objective People with inflammatory arthritis (IA) frequently experience work instability, absenteeism, and reduced productivity, culminating in early job loss. This study evaluated the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of WORKWELL job retention vocational rehabilitation (JRVR) delivered by occupational therapists, compared to a control group receiving written self-help advice. Methods A pragmatic, multi-centre randomised controlled trial was conducted across 18 UK NHS Trusts. Employed adults (n = 249) with IA experiencing moderate to severe work instability, were randomised (1:1) to intervention or control groups. WORKWELL included structured work assessment, individually tailored action plans, and interventions over 2-4 months. Follow-up was at 6, 12, and 36 months. The primary outcome was the Work Limitations Questionnaire-25 (WLQ-25). Analyses used linear mixed-effects regression adjusted for baseline characteristics and occupational skill level. An NHS perspective was used for the within-trial cost-effectiveness analysis. Much of the trial was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Results At 12 months, there was no significant difference in WLQ-25 between groups (adjusted mean difference: -1.8; 95% CI -7.4 to 3.8; p = 0.53), or in most secondary outcomes at 12- or 36-months. However, absenteeism showed a relative reduction of 46% at 12 months (p = 0.08), and employment retention at 36 months was higher in the intervention (93%) vs. control group (85%). The intervention was not cost-effective from an NHS perspective. Conclusion WORKWELL did not lead to improved work productivity compared to self-help advice. Future research should explore more flexible delivery methods, including digital tools, to support sustainable employment for people with IA. A plain-language abstract is available in the supplementary material. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT03942783. ISRCTN Registry; ISRCTN61762297.
Reference Key
openalex_W7169618750 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Alison Hammond, Jennifer Parker, Sarah Cotterill, Chris Sutton, Selman Mirza, Angela Ching, Terence W O’Neill, Fiona Holland, Antonia; id_orcid 0000-0003-3955-2649 Marsden, Paula Holland, Kate Radford, Suzanne Verstappen, Martin Eden, Garima Dalal, Simone Battista, June Culley, Karen Walker‐Bone, Sarah Woodbridge, Rachel O-Brien, Yvonne Hough, Yeliz Prior
Journal Lara D. Veeken
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/rheumatology/keag373
URL
Keywords Keywords not found

Citations

No citations found. To add a citation, contact the admin at info@scimatic.org

No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article.