Participants in the Abilita Program gain improvement work capacity and quality of life.

A reduction in Abilita domain scores following coaching is a measure of changes in participant's perceptions and behaviours impacting on their return to work. As a consequence they are:

• managing pain more effectively
• increasing their ability to manage daily chores and physical activity
• reducing level of distress and improving psychological well-being
• increasing use of active coping strategies and reducing dependency on medication and passive treatment
• increasing optimism and sense of control
• increasing work capacity.

ARI DATA

Chart 1: Average percent of improvement in scores after coaching (N=114), comparing those assessed before 26 weeks post injury and those assessed after 26 weeks post injury. (OMPSQ and PSEQ are converted to comparative scale).

The very high improvement across domains (average 42%) in cases assessed before 26 weeks post injury demonstrates the powerful gains that can be achieved by using this approach relatively early within a claim.

However important gains are also achieved in longer term cases (average 24% improvement) and the results indicate that these gains are achieved firstly in the domains of Emotions and Confidence.

Work Outcomes

Work hours are recorded at each point of Abilita assessment; Initial, Impact, Review1 and Review2. Chart 1 reflects only scores at Initial and Impact assessment and therefore not the final work outcomes. However work gains for many participants do occur during coaching and these are evident in the Impact Report.

Analysis of data for the Chart 1 cohort shows that at completion of coaching, 70% of cases assessed before 26 weeks post injury had increased their work hours by an average of 16.3 hours per week. And 37% of cases assessed after 26 weeks post injury had increased their work hours by an average of 11.4 hours per week.

Work hours continue to progress after completion of coaching, as this is often when medical clearance or upgrade is obtained.

In an early Abilita study (87 participants with long term and complex conditions), 53% were at work at commencement of the program, 67% by completion of coaching and 76% at 12 month follow up. The participants attributed their progress in work outcome to continued application of self-management strategies learnt through the coaching program.