Plain-language summaries

Institute for Work & Health (IWH) plain-language summaries condense research findings in various formats. At Work articles explain study results with comments from the study leads. Research Highlights summarize journal articles in easy-to-read, digest formats. Sharing Best Evidence summaries highlight findings from systematic reviews and other types of reviews conducted or led by IWH researchers. Issue Briefings discuss key research findings from IWH or elsewhere on topics that are of particular interest to policy-makers.

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Issue Briefing

Trends in no-lost-time claims in Ontario

The proportion of work-related injuries registered as no-lost-time claims (NLTCs) versus lost-time claims (LTCs) increased in Ontario from 1991 to 2006. Based on research from IWH, this Issue Briefing takes a close look at the characteristics of NLTCs in Ontario and the factors that may help explain their increasing share of workers' compensation claims in the province.
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At Work article

Tapping the tree of knowledge: How Jane Gibson bridged the research-to-action gap

After a decade of leadership, Jane Brenneman Gibson is retiring this summer. She championed the knowledge transfer and exchange department at the Institute for Work & Health from its infancy to its current state: a leader in the field.
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At Work article

The quest for greater flexibility: Creative innovations for workers with arthritis

Arthritis is a leading cause of disability among adults, and it often affects them in the prime of their career. How it’s approached in the workplace can make all the difference, according to a new study by an adjunct scientist at the Institute for Work & Health.
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At Work article

Systematic review looks for KTE evaluation tools

Few well-developed instruments are available to evaluate the implementation and impact of knowledge transfer and exchange (KTE) practices. However, some KTE evaluation instruments do hold promise. These are among the key messages stemming from a systematic review led by the Institute for Work & Health.
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At Work article

How workplace policies affect return to work

Organizational policies and practices play a role in whether or not injured workers will return to work and if they will perform well once back at work. A new study from the Institute for Work & Health not only demonstrates this, but also helps explain why.
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At Work article

The "watchful dose": Supporting doctors in the effort to reduce the harms of opioid prescribing

An associate scientist from the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) led the creation of the innovative and easy-to-use Opioid Manager. It is designed to help doctors facilitate safe opioid use among patients seeking relief from chronic non-cancer pain, including those recovering from work injuries.
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At Work article

The power of positive thinking: More evidence on patient expectations and return to work

Recent research from the Institute for Work & Health reinforces evidence that patients who are optimistic about recovery following an injury will actually recover and return to work faster than patients who are less optimistic— a finding that should be recognized in case management decisions.
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At Work article

Immigrant worker safety: IWH develops OHS information tool for newcomers

Institute for Work & Health researchers are helping fill a gap in the occupational health and safety system: the need for information tailored to immigrant workers, delivered to them through the services they regularly access at the community level.
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At Work article

Relationship trouble: The role of health-care providers in complex workers’ compensation claims

The interactions among health-care providers, injured workers and workers’ compensation boards can result in problems that delay the return to work of injured workers with complicated claims, according to a recent analysis by Institute for Work & Health researchers.
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At Work article

Looking for good workplace injury stats? Try the emergency department

Workers’ compensation data is typically used to track the performance of workplace health and safety. A recent study from the Institute for Work & Health suggests emergency department records can provide an independent source of reliable information on job-related injuries and illnesses.
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At Work article

Five easy pieces: Easy-to-use tool helps predict back-pain outcomes

A simple, five-question tool has been developed to help front-line doctors identify those patients with back pain who are at risk of severe and long-term functional limitations and, therefore, potentially in need of more aggressive treatment and follow-up.
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At Work article

Assessing the adequacy of workers’ comp benefits for permanently disabled workers

Workers who suffer permanent impairments from a work injury often receive workers’ compensation benefits to replace lost earnings. Just how well three compensation programs provided adequate benefits is the subject of a new Issue Briefing from the Institute for Work & Health.
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At Work article

Over-qualified immigrants at risk of poorer mental health

Many recent immigrants end up in jobs for which they are over-qualified, putting them at risk of poorer mental health within a relatively short period of time, according to a recent study from the Institute for Work & Health.
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Close-up of the hands of a presenter in front of blurred audience
Sharing Best Evidence

Finding tools to measure the impact of KTE activities

The effectiveness of current knowledge transfer and exchange (KTE) practices has not been routinely or consistently evaluated, in part because of a lack of instruments for assessing the impact of KTE activities. This systematic review searched the literature to find instruments that can accurately and reliably measure KTE activities. Although few were found, some showed promise.
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Soft focus image of people in a meeting
Sharing Best Evidence

Promising KTE evaluation tools

A systematic review of the literature to find tools that effectively measure the impact of knowledge transfer and exchange (KTE) activities concluded that few well developed instruments are available to evaluate the implementation and impact of knowledge transfer and exchange practices. However, it did find 16 articles describing instruments that showed promise as useful tools in the evaluation of KTE activities, and references for these are provided here.
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Issue Briefing

The adequacy of workers’ compensation benefits

Workers who suffer permanent impairments from a work injury often rely on workers' compensation benefits to replace lost earnings. But how well are benefit programs fulfilling this role? This Issue Briefing addresses that question.
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At Work article

Leading indicators may pinpoint positive differences in OHS practices

The Institute for Work & Health is currently conducting a number of studies that may provide important insights on “leading indicators.” The results from these studies will support efforts to improve the way Ontario firms manage their occupational health and safety programs.
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At Work article

Thumbs down: MSK symptoms and hand-held devices

If you use a hand-held device such as a BlackBerry or an iPod, do you experience hand or neck pain? If you answered, “yes,” you’re likely not alone.
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At Work article

At issue: Income security for persons with disabilities in Canada

A more coordinated and client-oriented approach is needed for disability benefit programs in Canada, according to a new Issue Briefing from the Institute for Work & Health (IWH).
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At Work article

Are those who work shifts more at risk of work injury?

The number of Canadians working shifts other than a regular daytime schedule is on the rise. A new study suggests that those who work night or rotating shifts are more at risk of getting injured on the job.
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