BOHRF News: Summer 2008 Newsletter

In this Newsletter:

BOHRF is an award-winning niche charity specialising in the provision of evidence based solutions to practical questions asked by employers and their advisers in both private and public sectors.

Our work is:

  • Evidence based, independent and objective
  • Always of direct practical application at work
  • Of international relevance
  • High impact and value for money
  • Independently peer reviewed and scrutinised by the research committee

BOHRF strategy is focussed on a proactive research pipeline. Our effort is on developing and funding evidence based answers to questions to which our corporate sponsors, project funders, and you would like answers.

Another Corporate Sponsor for BOHRF

In our last winter Newsletter we welcomed E.ON as a corporate sponsor. This time, we are able to welcome Esso UK. A further organisation is seriously considering becoming a sponsor. They join BP, Bevan Brittan, Carillion, IOSH, Johnson Matthey, MoD, QBE Insurance, Royal Mail Group, Rexam, Scottish & Newcastle, Scottish Power.

We do need more corporate sponsors and we are actively seeking to grow our sponsor base. Although BOHRF is very much a going concern these days, the corporate world (and corporate budgets) are precarious because of problems in the economy which look like continuing through 2009. The existence of a solid corporate sponsor base is critical to the BOHRF business model, and to our ability to continue to contribute robust evidence based research of direct practical application at work.

We are incredibly grateful to our current sponsors in supporting this work that really does 'make a difference'.

Four new research projects about to start:

Rehabilitation and Line Manager Competencies

To the best of our understanding this is the first longitudinal research designed to identify behaviours, and to develop and validate line manager (and HR/occupational health) competencies required for supporting effective return to work and staying back in work, covering employees being rehabilitated back in work after absences due to mental health problems, back pain, heart disease, cancer.

Outputs of the longitudinal research will be:

  • Validated “return to work” behavioural and competency model
  • Identification of behaviours that contribute to failed return to work/rehabilitation
  • Guidance for health and HR professionals, line managers and employees on achievement of successful return to work and staying back in work
  • Guidance on mainstreaming the model into personal development and performance

This research is receiving funding in kind from HSE and CIPD, in addition to project funding from a number of private sector employers, NHS Employers, Scottish Executive and CIPD.

This research is expected to start in late summer/early autumn.  It will take two years to complete.

Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (cCBT) – its effectiveness in organisations and comparison with other CBT methods

At their meeting last month, the BOHRF Board agreed to fund a feasibility study to find out whether internet based CBT (MoodGYM which is freely available on the internet) is effective in reducing anxiety and depression; and in improving performance at work and attendance at work.  At the same time it will evaluate the user satisfaction and cost effectiveness of this approach compared with alternatives.  If the objectives of the feasibility study are achieved, then it is anticipated that BOHRF will fund the full pragmatic randomized control trial. 

Nearly three in ten of all employees will have a mental health problem of some sort in any given year.  People with anxiety and depression take 3½ times as many days off work as people with no mental disorder. 

The approach being taken by this research is innovative in that:

  • it avoids the fear of stigma that some people have
  • it avoids the risk of being “labeled” as “mentally ill” due to health centre visit when such labeling is not necessary
  • it seeks to demonstrate effectiveness within the workplace (rather than clinical setting)
  • it will compare effectiveness with treatment as usual
  • it is the first randomized control trial on cCBT in an organisational setting

New BOHRF Evidence Review: Occupational Contact Dermatitis

At their last meeting, the BOHRF Board agreed to fund this systematic evidence review.  This is believed to be the world’s first systematic review on this topic that covers all occupational sectors.  It is focused mainly on prevention.  The review is being led by Dr Paul Nicholson.  HSE is funding the position of Scientific Secretary.  The study is expected to start in September, and the launch of findings is planned for end of quarter one of 2010.

This study responds to the request from The House of Lords Select Committee Report on Allergy, for an evidence review on occupational dermatitis, of the quality of the BOHRF award winning evidence review on occupational asthma.

Will the Previous Reviews Be Updated?

We are in discussions to review and update the two systematic evidence reviews on Common Mental Health Problems, and on Occupational Asthma.

MSD Systematic Evidence Review

The systematic evidence review  “Evaluating the impact of back, neck and upper limb pain on work performance and absence” starts imminently.  This will interrogate the database referred to below in order to:

  • Summarise the evidence on the overall impact of back, neck and upper limb pain on work performance and absence.
  • Assess the separate impacts of back, neck and upper limb pain on work performance and absence.
  • Describe the range of outcome measures, used to assess work performance for people with these conditions.
  • Evaluate the measures found in terms of their reliability and validity.

This study will probably take 12 months to complete.

Exciting New Database on Health and Performance

Corporate Sponsor cash has enabled BOHRF to fund the creation of an exciting database by researchers at Keele University.  This comprises the worldwide literature of 20,000 unique references and almost 2,000 peer reviewed research papers on health, performance, and interventions to achieve optimal performance at work.

Ongoing Research Projects

The Wellbeing of Mobile Personnel

The aims of this research are to provide

  • Policy recommendations based on evidence for remote/isolated workers
  • Issues that reduce their wellbeing; enabling better risk management
  • Identification of benefits of remote working; enabling better performance

This research is well under way.  The first deliverable – the critical review of the evidence – delivered some time ago and has been sent to the project funders.  The second deliverable, development and field testing of the questionnaire, has recently been received.  The full scale field research is now under way.

Ageing, Work and Health: Working Womens’ Experience of the Menopause

This research aims to identify the extent and the nature of the problems that the menopause presents for women at work; and how this can be improved through the design and management of work.  It is scheduled for completion in the first part of 2009.

Deliverables:

  • evidence based recommendations for management and occupational health advisers to inform policy, best practice and a work environment that will be conducive to the health and productivity of women working through the menopause
  • identification of the factors that would help women working through the menopause stay in work, thus reducing staff turnover
  • advice leaflets for older women working through the menopause and for their employers
  • scientific report on work related concerns of older women workers, and their effects on health, motivation and performance

Evidence Base for Removing Discrimination Against Asthmatics at Work

Our sponsors heard the progress to date on this research, at our Research Day held on 20 June.  BOHRF is funding the dissemination phase of work to produce evidence based guidance to be used by occupational health professionals, allied colleagues, and employers generally, in the pre-employment assessment of people with asthma.  This condition affects 5.8 million working people in the UK alone.  The project is being led by Dr Paul Cullinan of the National Heart and Lung Institute.

Influencing GP Behaviour

Earlier in 2007 the BOHRF Board agreed to co-fund (with HSE) a piece of work to evaluate the effectiveness of the BMJ e-learning system for GP CPD in improving GP behaviour.  The team led by Dr Chris Barber is using the BOHRF evidence guidelines on occupational asthma as the vehicle for this exciting project.  The early results are extremely encouraging.  The team that wrote the evidence guidelines on occupational asthma generously agreed that the 2005 BUPA Health at Work Award could be used for this funding.

New Scientific Adviser for BOHRF

Our Scientific Adviser, Professor Tony Pickering, has advised us that he wishes to retire from this position which he has held since 2001, at the end of this year.  We are delighted that Professor Sir Tony Newman Taylor has kindly agreed to succeed him.  A short profile of our new Scientific Adviser will appear in our next Newsletter, together with a tribute to Tony Pickering.

Until next time, … au revoir.

Last Update: 13-Aug-2008