fit for work europe

This White Paper explores current European approaches for including work, or not, in health investment decisions, using Health Technology Assessment (HTA) as an illustrative example of how this can be achieved. Drawing on our research, and contributions from a number of experts involved in producing this paper, we present here our recommendations for policy-makers interested in improving health outcomes and maximising employment.

A series of case studies on work and health care decision making in Brazil, Finland, France, Netherlands, Poland, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, England and Wales.

On 5th November 2012 the European Commission's Directorate-General and Executive Agency for Health and Consumers will meet Member States in Luxembourg to discuss Joint Action on Chronic Diseases. The Fit for Work Europe Coalition welcomes the Commission's broad initiative in the field of Chronic Diseases and applauds the work undertaken by Member States. A Joint Action in Chronic Diseases will provide an opportunity to foster greater collaboration and tackle chronic diseases at a pan-European scale.

An infographic of the main statistics on how the musculoskeletal disorders affect the world of work in Hungary.

This report looks at Japan in this wider global context and assesses where Japan is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. Appendix 3 compares Japan with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators. More specifically, this project has sought to address each of the following questions:

1. What is the impact of MSDs on employment and economic performance in Japan? How is this likely to change in the context of future demographic, workforce and lifestyle changes?
2. What is the relationship between work and MSDs? What impact do biological, psychological and social factors, including workplace factors, have on MSDs?
3. How well do employers, governmental bodies, clinicians and occupational health professionals understand and deal with MSDs as they relate to the workplace? How well equipped is the health sector to provide early intervention, rehabilitation and other support for people with these conditions?
4. What early interventions can policy-makers and employers deliver to ensure that those with MSDs a) retain their jobs b) maximise their quality of working life and their contribution to society and c) maintain access to (and routes back into) employment?

A report detailing the events and findings presented at the 4th Annual Fit for Work Summit held on 16-17 October in Brussels. Including reviews from workshops on:

1. Experiences of people with MSDs: the healthcare & work journey (Patient Surveys)
2. Making the case for Early Intervention and Better Management of MSDs
3. Chronic Conditions: the importance of national and regional planning for the management of MSDs
4. The value of work in HTA
5. Workplace Accommodations: Managing Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Disorders & Psychosocial
   risks
6. Patient-centred care and self-management for people with MSDs: the importance of physical and
   mental health
7. Making Change Happen

In July 2012 we launched a survey of European individuals living with a range of MSDs, from across nine EU countries. This is the Executive Summary of first ‘cut’ of the data to reveal something of the ‘journey’ through both the healthcare system and the world of work, as travelled by people with MSDs.

This report looks at Bulgaria in this wider EU context and assesses where Bulgaria is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators across a number of European countries.

October 5 - If I can bend down, I can pick up work! The Fit for Work Hungary Coalition provides latest news from the Conference of the Hungarian Association of Rheumatologists

Check out the current agenda for the 4th Annual Fit for Work Summit

The primary focus of this report has been to examine the interventions and other factors which affect job retention, labour market participation and job quality among those with MSDs. As we have seen, there is evidence that physical impairment can represent a barrier to each of these aspects, but that many people – even those with serious and chronic incapacity – can and do lead full and fulfilling working lives.

On 11 June, more than 25 health economists, clinicians and research experts from across the world came together for our roundtable meeting on: The Place of Work in Health Decision-Making. This meeting report summarises the key themes of their discussion, including: key political, economic, ethical and methodological challenges for inclusion of workability and productivity in HTA and other health economic evaluations.

This report looks at Australia in this wider global context and assesses where Australia is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Australia with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators. More specifically, this project has sought to address each of the following questions:

1. What is the impact of MSDs on employment and economic performance in Australia? How is this likely to change in the context of future demographic, workforce and lifestyle changes?
2. What is the relationship between work and MSDs? What impact do biological, psychological and social factors, including workplace factors, have on MSDs?
3. How well do employers, governmental bodies, general practitioners (GPs) and occupational health professionals understand and deal with MSDs as they relate to the workplace? How well equipped is the health sector to provide early intervention, rehabilitation and other support for people with these conditions?
4. What early interventions can policy-makers and employers deliver to ensure that those with MSDs a) retain their jobs b) maximise their quality of working life and their contribution to society and c) maintain access to (and routes back into) employment?

This report looks at Latvia in this wider global context and assesses where Latvia is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Latvia with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

This report looks at Estonia in this wider global context and assesses where Estonia is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Estonia with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

This report looks at Poland in this wider global context and assesses where Poland is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Poland with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

This report looks at Romania in this wider global context and assesses where Romania is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Romania with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

This report looks at Greece in this wider global context and assesses where Greece is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Greece with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

This report looks at Hungary in this wider global context and assesses where Hungary is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Hungary with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

This report looks at Israel in this wider global context and assesses where Israel is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Israel with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

This report looks at Switzerland in this wider global context and assesses where Switzerland is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Switzerland with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

This report looks at Spain in this wider global context and assesses where Spain is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Spain with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

This report looks at Sweden in this wider global context and assesses where Sweden is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Sweden with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

This report looks at Lithuania in this wider global context and assesses where Lithuania is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Lithuania with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

This report looks at Germany in this wider global context and assesses where Germany is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Germany with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

This report looks at Turkey in this wider global context and assesses where Turkey is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Turkey with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

This report looks at Norway in this wider global context and assesses where Norway is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Norway with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

This report looks at Croatia in this wider global context and assesses where Croatia is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Croatia with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators

This report looks at Netherlands in this wider global context and assesses where Netherlands is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Netherlands with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators

This report looks at France in this wider global context and assesses where France is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares France with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

This report looks at Finland in this wider global context and assesses where Finland is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Finland with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

This report looks at Portugal in this wider global context and assesses where Portugal is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Portugal with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

This report looks at Canada in this wider global context and assesses where Canada is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Canada with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

This report looks at Belgium in this wider global context and assesses where Belgium is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Belgium with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) account for nearly half (49%) of all absences from work and 60% of permanent work incapacity in the European Union. These and other socio-economic consequences of suffering from poor health due to muscle and joint pain represent an estimated cost to society in Europe of up to €240 billion.

This report looks at Austria in this wider global context and assesses where Austria is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Austria with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

This report looks at Italy in this wider global context and assesses where Italy is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Italy with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

This report looks at Denmark in this wider global context and assesses where Denmark is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Denmark with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

This report looks at Ireland in this wider global context and assesses where Ireland is doing well and where it has challenges to confront. In addition, Appendix 3 compares Ireland with other countries across a range of labour market, welfare and health care systems indicators.

The report argues that early intervention and an emphasis on keeping sufferers in work wherever possible are likely to boost national productivity and help reduce the 2.6 million people claiming Incapacity Benefit. ‘There is overwhelming evidence that worklessness is, itself, bad for health,’ the report says.