Introduction to Special Section: Systematic Reviews for Prevention and Management of Musculoskeletal Disorders

Excerpt

There has been renewed interest in the integration of occupational health and safety (OHS) prevention programs and rehabilitation or disability management programs. Frank and Cullen [1] suggested it was important to consider occupational prevention from a more integrated perspective, combining primary prevention and secondary prevention. A decade earlier, Habeck [2] and Hunt [3] made similar arguments. More recently the idea of an integrated approach has received further support by Punnett [4], Pennachio [5] and Davis [6]. Safety programs such as active safety leadership, training, and diligence can be understood only alongside proactive return-to-work programs and disability case management programs. Ergonomic programs and practices straddle the primary and secondary prevention elements of workplaces. However, OHS prevention programs and rehabilitation or disability management programs often remain separate academically in scientific journals and practically in businesses. This special section of this issue of the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation (JOOR) presents some recent outcomes of a program of research conducted by the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) in Toronto, Canada, to focus on synthesizing evidence from the scientific literature on OHS prevention, rehabilitation and disability management. …