The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of early multidisciplinary interventions in promoting work participation and reducing work absence in adults with regional musculoskeletal pain. Seven databases (CENTRAL, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Scopus, OT Seeker, PEDro; 1990 to December 2016) were searched for eligible studies.
Trials were included if they reported on work-based outcomes for participants experiencing difficulties at work or ≤ three months’ sick leave. Interventions had to include two or more elements of the biopsychosocial model delivered as a coordinated programme. Quality was assessed using the GRADE criteria. Results were analysed by hazard ratios for return to work data; continuous outcomes were analysed as standardised mean difference with 95% confidence intervals.
A total of 20 randomized controlled trials, with 16,319 participants were included; the interventions were grouped according to their main components for meta-analyses. At 12-months follow-up, moderate quality evidence suggests that programmes involving a stepped care approach (four studies) were more effective than the comparisons in promoting return to work (hazard ratio (HR) 1.29 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03 to 1.61), p = 0.03), whereas case management (two studies) was not (HR 0.92 (95% CI 0.69 to 1.24), p = 0.59). Analyses suggested limited effectiveness in reducing sickness absences, in pain reduction or functional improvement across the intervention categories.
There is uncertainty as to the effectiveness of early multicomponent interventions owing to the clinical heterogeneity and varying health and social insurance systems across the trials.