TY - JOUR A1 - Shaw, L. A1 - Prodinger, Birgit A1 - Jacobs, K. A1 - Shaw, N. T1 - WORK: A historical evaluation of the impact and evolution of its editorial board JF - Work N2 - Objectives: A historical review of the editorial board and the founding editor of WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation was conducted to examine the understanding of the editorship and contributions of this team to the knowledge in WORK. Participants: The team of four authors worked together to identify an approach to evaluate the contributions and impact of WORK's editorial board (EB) on the journal's scholarship. The editor-in-chief (EIC) and editorial board members were participants in this evaluation. Methods: Informative and formative evaluations were used to investigate how knowledge was shaped through the development of an epistemic community of scholars in the field of work. Metrics of the EB composition and participation in the journal as well as surveys and interviews with the board and the editor-in-chief were analyzed. Results: The EB represents an international community of scholars with a common interest in work and who contribute academically both within WORK and beyond. The epistemic community that has evolved through the editorial board represents a pluralistic perspective on work that is needed to inform practice, and knowledge. Conclusion: Future directions to continue to advance knowledge through WORK's editorial board and EIC are elaborated. KW - Knowledge development KW - Epistemic community KW - sociology of knowledge Y1 - 2010 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/WOR-2010-0988 VL - 35 IS - 3 SP - 247 EP - 255 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Shaw, L. A1 - Campbell, H. A1 - Jacobs, K. A1 - Prodinger, Birgit T1 - Twenty years of Assessment in WORK: A narrative review JF - Work N2 - Introduction: The aim of this review was to gain an understanding of the first 20 years of contributions to WORK within the assessment domain and to reflect on the perspectives underscoring this knowledge base. Method: A narrative review of assessment articles using the WORK ARTicle database was conducted. Assessment articles were searched using issues from 1990 to 2009. Descriptive data was analyzed to examine historical trends of the specific types and dimensions of articles, the regional location of the contributions, and the methodological accordance. A reflective process was used by an editorial board member of WORK to inductively interpret perspectives and contextual issues that underpinned the evolution of the assessment domain in WORK. Results: Over half of N= 108 of the articles on assessment in WORK focused on establishing or reporting reliability and validity of assessments used in clinical practice or evaluation research. The majority of the assessment articles were predominantly focused on the person. Contributions of articles were from 5 regions: North America, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. Conclusions: Assessment articles in WORK have contributed to the development of evidence to support assessment of the worker. These articles represent a knowledge base that emphasizes evidence-based assessments to evaluate what a person can and cannot do to participate in work. Efforts are needed to expand knowledge generation in assessment to include more evaluations on the workplace and occupation dimensions, and that also considers the worker in context. KW - Knowledge base KW - Evaluation KW - Descriptive KW - Evidence base Y1 - 2010 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/WOR-2010-0989 VL - 35 IS - 3 SP - 257 EP - 267 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Prodinger, Birgit A1 - Magalhaes, L. T1 - Advancing knowledge in work-related rehabilitation - Review of research published in the journal of WORK JF - Work N2 - Objective: Many studies published in the journal WORK in the recent decades have discussed work and employment trends. However, the dimensions of these contributions over time have not been reviewed. The main objective of this study was to investigate the knowledge development in regard to work-related rehabilitation in WORK over the last two decades. Methods: A scoping review was conducted using the following five stages: (i) identifying research question, (ii) identifying relevant studies, (iii) study selection, (iv) charting, summarizing, and collating the data, and (v) reporting the results. Studies were selected from the WORK Article Database. Results: Seventy-five relevant studies were identified. The findings reflect that WORK has published papers from across the world, with most of the studies from the United States, Sweden, Canada, and Hong Kong. The complexity and multi-factorial nature of work-related rehabilitation was reflected in the application of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method research approaches, as well as case studies. Study participants were characterized by work, and non-work related injuries, systematic diseases/chronic illness, fulfilled certain socio-demographic characteristic, and represented various stakeholders. Fewer studies drew on secondary resources. In the findings one re-occurring theme has been noted: 'maintaining/obtaining/returning to secure and stable employment/work'. Conclusions: Four key-reflections evolved from this scoping review that provide potential avenues for future research. These key-reflections include (i) the national, transnational and international dimension of the reviewed studies, (ii) the various societal levels informing work-related rehabilitation practices, (iii) the diversity of methodologies applied in current research, and (iv) the variability of terminology used within the reviewed studies. The journal WORK has published a variety of research over the last two decades and contributed significantly to our current understanding of work-related rehabilitation. However, further research in these reflective areas would expand the current knowledge base. KW - Scoping review KW - Return to work KW - Workers with injury KW - Employment Y1 - 2010 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/WOR-2010-0992 VL - 35 IS - 3 SP - 301 EP - 318 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bauernfeind, B. A1 - Aringer, M. A1 - Prodinger, Birgit A1 - Kirchberger, I. A1 - Machold, K. A1 - Smolen, J. A1 - Stamm, T. T1 - Identification of relevant concepts of functioning in daily life in people with systematic Lupus Erythematosus: A patient Delphi exercise JF - Arthritis Care & Research N2 - Objective To identify the most important and relevant concepts of daily functioning from the perspective of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods We conducted a consensus‐building, 3‐round, electronic mail survey with SLE patients using the Delphi technique. The Delphi technique is a structured communication process with 4 key characteristics: anonymity, iteration with controlled feedback, statistical group response, and informed input. The concepts contained in the answers of the patients were extracted and linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Results Of the total 225 participants, 194 (86.2%) completed the questionnaires from all 3 Delphi rounds. In total, after the third Delphi round, 307 concepts were identified. Ninety concepts (55 in the domain body functions and structures, 16 in activities and participation, and 19 in environmental factors) were considered relevant by at least 50% of the participants in the third round and linked to the ICF. Twelve concepts were considered important by at least 75% of the participants. Conclusion The high number of concepts resulting from this large‐scale patient Delphi approach underlines the great variety of SLE patients' problems in daily functioning. The results of this patient Delphi project supplement the findings of our focus‐group study in establishing a comprehensive overview of the patient perspective in SLE. KW - Systemic lupus erythematosus KW - Patient Delphi exercise KW - Functioning in daily life Y1 - 2009 UR - https://doi.org/10.1002/art.24165 VL - 61 IS - 1 SP - 21 EP - 28 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stamm, T. A1 - Van der Giesen, F. A1 - Thorstensson, C. A1 - Steen, E. A1 - Birrell, F. A1 - Bauernfeind, B. A1 - Marshall, N. A1 - Prodinger, Birgit A1 - Machold, K. A1 - Smolen, J. A1 - Kloppenburg, M. T1 - Patient perspective of hand osteoarthritis in relation to concepts covered by instruments measuring functioning: a qualitative European multicentre study JF - Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases N2 - Objective: To explore whether the concepts important to patients with hand osteoarthritis (OA) are covered by the most commonly used instruments measuring functioning. Method: A qualitative multicentre study using a focus group technique was performed in five European countries: Austria, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The qualitative data analysis followed a modified form of “meaning condensation” and used the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as a theoretical framework. Finally, the concepts from the focus groups were compared with the content of the most commonly used instruments which had been identified in an earlier theoretical analysis. Results: Fifty-six people (51 women, mean (SD) age 62.7 (7.9) years) with hand OA participated in this study in two focus groups per centre. 63 concepts were extracted from the focus groups. Twenty-one (33%) of the 63 concepts were covered by at least one instrument. Psychological consequences, different qualities of pain, aesthetic changes and leisure activities are important concepts from the focus groups which were not covered by the instruments. The qualitative analysis revealed detailed descriptions of pain-concerning sensations, levels and a certain relation to activity, none of which were fully represented in the instruments routinely used. Conclusion: It was possible to combine the concepts of the focus groups from each centre into a common qualitative analysis. The concepts important to people with hand OA are not fully represented in the most commonly used instruments. KW - Hand osteoarthritis KW - Measuring functioning KW - Qualitative multicentre study Y1 - 2009 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/ard.2008.096776 VL - 68 IS - 9 SP - 1453 EP - 1460 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dür, M. A1 - Steiner, G. A1 - Stoffer, M.A. A1 - Fialka-Moser, V. A1 - Kautky-Willer, A. A1 - Dejaco, C. A1 - Ekmekcioglu, C. A1 - Prodinger, Birgit A1 - Binder, A. A1 - Smolen, J. A1 - Stamm, T. A. T1 - Initial evidence for the link between activities and health: Associations between a balance of activities, functioning and serum levels of cytokines and C-reactive protein JF - Psychoneuroendocrinology N2 - Growing evidence shows interrelations of psychological factors, neurological and immunological processes. Therefore, constructs like a balance of activities, the so called “occupational balance”, could also have biological correlates. The aim of this study was to investigate potential associations between occupational balance, functioning, cytokines and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients suffering from a chronic inflammatory disease like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and healthy people. Moreover, we wanted to explore potential differences in gender and employment status. A descriptive study in patients with RA and healthy people was conducted using the Occupational Balance-Questionnaire (OB-Quest) and the Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). Serum levels of cytokines, such as interleukin 6 (IL-6) and 8 (IL-8), interferon alpha (INFα), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), rheumatoid factor (RF) and of CRP were measured. Descriptive statistics, as well as Mann-Whitney U tests and Spearmen's rank correlation coefficients (rs) were calculated. One-hundred-thirty-two patients with RA and 76 healthy people participated. Occupational balance was associated with functioning, cytokines and CRP. The strongest associations were identified in the unemployed healthy-people sample with cytokines and CRP being within the normal range. For example, the OB-Quest item challenging activities was associated with IL-8 (rs = − 0.63, p = 0.04) and the SF-36 sub-scale bodily pain was associated with IFNα (rs = − 0.69, p = 0.02). The items rest and sleep (rs = − 0.71, p = 0.01) and variety of different activities (rs = − 0.74, p < 0.01) correlated with the SF-36 sub-scale social functioning. Employed and unemployed people differed in their age and CRP levels. Additionally, gender differences were found in two OB-Quest items in that fewer women were able to adapt their activities to changing living conditions and fewer men were overstressed. In conclusion, we found preliminary biological evidence for the link between occupation and health in that the concepts encompassed in the construct of occupational balance were associated with functioning, cytokines and CRP. KW - Autoimmune disease KW - Psychoneuroendocrinology KW - Inflammatory markers KW - Occupational balance KW - Measure KW - Immunology Y1 - 2016 UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.12.015 VL - 65 SP - 138 EP - 148 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hopfe, M. A1 - Stucki, G. A1 - Marshall, R. A1 - Twomey, C. A1 - Üstün, T.B. A1 - Prodinger, Birgit T1 - Capturing patients' needs in casemix: a systematic literature review on the value of adding functioning information in reimbursement systems JF - BMC Health Services Research N2 - Background Contemporary casemix systems for health services need to ensure that payment rates adequately account for actual resource consumption based on patients’ needs for services. It has been argued that functioning information, as one important determinant of health service provision and resource use, should be taken into account when developing casemix systems. However, there has to date been little systematic collation of the evidence on the extent to which the addition of functioning information into existing casemix systems adds value to those systems with regard to the predictive power and resource variation explained by the groupings of these systems. Thus, the objective of this research was to examine the value of adding functioning information into casemix systems with respect to the prediction of resource use as measured by costs and length of stay. Methods A systematic literature review was performed. Peer-reviewed studies, published before May 2014 were retrieved from CINAHL, EconLit, Embase, JSTOR, PubMed and Sociological Abstracts using keywords related to functioning (‘Functioning’, ‘Functional status’, ‘Function*, ‘ICF’, ‘International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health’, ‘Activities of Daily Living’ or ‘ADL’) and casemix systems (‘Casemix’, ‘case mix’, ‘Diagnosis Related Groups’, ‘Function Related Groups’, ‘Resource Utilization Groups’ or ‘AN-SNAP’). In addition, a hand search of reference lists of included articles was conducted. Information about study aims, design, country, setting, methods, outcome variables, study results, and information regarding the authors’ discussion of results, study limitations and implications was extracted. Results Ten included studies provided evidence demonstrating that adding functioning information into casemix systems improves predictive ability and fosters homogeneity in casemix groups with regard to costs and length of stay. Collection and integration of functioning information varied across studies. Results suggest that, in particular, DRG casemix systems can be improved in predicting resource use and capturing outcomes for frail elderly or severely functioning-impaired patients. Conclusion Further exploration of the value of adding functioning information into casemix systems is one promising approach to improve casemix systems ability to adequately capture the differences in patient’s needs for services and to better predict resource use. KW - Functioning information KW - DRG KW - Casemix KW - Systematic Review KW - Ressource utilization Y1 - 2016 UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1277-x VL - 16 SP - 40 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Prodinger, Birgit A1 - Ballert, C. S. A1 - Cieza, A. T1 - Setting up a cohort study of functioning: From classification to measurement JF - Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine N2 - Objective: Cohort studies are an appropriate method for the collection of population-based longitudinal data to track people's health and functioning over time. However, describing and understanding functioning in its complexity with all its determinants is one of the biggest challenges faced by clinicians and researchers. Design: This paper focuses on the development of a cohort study on functioning, outlining the relevant steps and related methods, and illustrating these with reference to the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort Study (SwiSCI). Methods and results: In setting up a cohort study the initial step is to specify which variables are to be included, i.e. what to assess. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is valuable in this process. The second step is to identify how to assess the specified ICF categories. Existing instruments and assessments can then be linked to the ICF. Conclusion: The methods outlined here enable the development of a cohort study to be based on a comprehensive perspective of health, operationalized through functioning as conceptualized and classified in the ICF, yet to remain efficient and feasible to administer. KW - Disability and health KW - Cohort study KW - Epidemiology KW - International classification of functioning KW - Standardized Reporting Y1 - 2016 UR - https://doi.org/10.2340/16501977-2030 VL - 48 IS - 2 SP - 131 EP - 140 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hinrichs, T. A1 - Prodinger, Birgit A1 - Brinkof, M.W. A1 - Gemperli, A. T1 - Subgroups in epidemiological studies on spinal cord injury: Evaluation of international recommendations in the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort Study JF - Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine N2 - Objective: To test subgroups of a community-based sample of individuals with spinal cord injury, categorized by the application of current recommendations by the International Spinal Cord Society. Design: Community survey. Participants: Individuals with traumatic and non-traumatic spinal cord injury residing in Switzerland. Methods: Recommended subgroups of age, gender, years since injury, severity of injury and aetiology were tested against the following criteria: (i) distribution of participants across categories; (ii) within- and between-group variability with regard to selected outcomes of functioning and quality of life. Results: Data-sets for 1,549 participants (28.5% women; mean age 52 ± 15 years) were available for analyses. There was a number of participants in every subgroup, yet numbers were relatively small in the group with the shortest time since injury (< 1 year; n = 23) and in the oldest age group (≥76; n = 94). A high variability in some outcomes was detected between categories. All variables were predictive for most of the endpoints investigated. Conclusion: Recommended categorization could well fit the present sample. A minor concern was the low numbers of participants in some subgroups. KW - Classification KW - Disability and health KW - Health survey KW - International classification of functioning KW - Spinal cord injury Y1 - 2016 UR - https://doi.org/10.2340/16501977-2029 VL - 48 IS - 2 SP - 141 EP - 148 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Prodinger, Birgit A1 - Ballert, C.S. A1 - Brinkof, M. W. G. A1 - Tennant, A. A1 - Post, M. W. M. T1 - Metric properties of the Spinal Cord Independence Measure - Self Report in a community survey JF - Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine N2 - Objective: The Spinal Cord Independence Measure – Self Report (SCIM-SR) is a self-report instrument for assessing functional independence of persons with spinal cord injury. This study examined the internal construct validity and reliability of the SCIM-SR, when administered in a community survey, using the Rasch measurement model. Methods: Rasch analysis of data from 1,549 individuals with spinal cord injury who completed the SCIM-SR. Results: In the initial analysis no fit to the Rasch model was achieved. Items were grouped into testlets to accommodate the substantial local dependency. Due to the differential item functioning for lesion level and degree, spinal cord injury-specific sub-group analyses were conducted. Fit to the Rasch model was then achieved for individuals with tetraplegia and complete paraplegia, but not for those with incomplete paraplegia. Comparability of ability estimates across sub-groups was attained by anchoring all sub-groups on a testlet. Conclusion: The SCIM-SR violates certain assumptions of the Rasch measurement model, as shown by the local dependency and differential item functioning. However, an intermediate solution to achieve fit in 3 out of 4 spinal cord injury sub-groups was found. For the time being, therefore, it advisable to use this approach to compute Rasch-transformed SCIM-SR scores. KW - Functional status KW - Independence KW - Psychometrics KW - Reliability KW - Spinal cord injury Y1 - 2016 UR - https://doi.org/10.2340/16501977-2059 VL - 48 IS - 2 SP - 149 EP - 164 ER -