Worker Productivity Outcome Measures: OMERACT Filter Evidence and Agenda for Future Research

Kenneth Tang; Annelies Boonen; Suzanne M.M. Verstappen; Reuben Escorpizo; Jolanda J. Luime; Diane Lacaille; Bruno Fautrel; Ailsa Bosworth; Mary Cifaldi; Monique A.M. Gignac; Cathy Hofstetter; Amye Leong; Pam Montie; Ingemar F. Petersson; Oana Purcaru; Claire Bombardier; Peter S. Tugwell; Dorcas E. Beaton

doi:10.3899/jrheum.130815

Abstract

The objective of the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Worker Productivity working group is to identify worker productivity outcome measures that meet the requirements of the OMERACT filter. At the OMERACT 11 Workshop, we focused on the at-work limitations/productivity component of worker productivity (i.e., presenteeism) — an area with diverse conceptualization and instrumentation approaches. Various approaches to quantify at-work limitations/productivity (e.g., single-item global and multi-item measures) were examined, and available evidence pertaining to OMERACT truth, discrimination, and feasibility were presented to conference participants. Four candidate global measures of presenteeism were put forth for a plenary vote to determine whether current evidence meets the OMERACT filter requirements. Presenteeism globals from the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire (72% support) and Rheumatoid Arthritis-specific Work Productivity Survey (71% support) were endorsed by conference participants; however, neither the presenteeism global item from the Health and Work Performance Questionnaire nor the Quantity and Quality method achieved the level of support required for endorsement at the present time. The plenary was also asked whether the central item from the Work Ability Index should also be considered as a candidate measure for potential endorsement in the future. Of participants at the plenary, 70% supported this presenteeism global measure. Progress was also made in other areas through discussions at individual breakout sessions. Topics examined include the merits of various multi-item measures of at-work limitations/productivity, methodological issues related to interpretability of outcome scores, and approaches to appraise and classify contextual factors of worker productivity. Feedback gathered from conference participants will inform the future research agenda of the working group.

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Footnotes

Supported by research grants from the Canadian Arthritis Network (part of the Networks of Centres of Excellence) and the European League Against Rheumatology; by an unrestricted grant from Abbott and by funding provided by OMERACT. K. Tang is supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Fellowship, a Canadian Arthritis Network Graduate Award, and a Syme Fellowship from the Institute for Work and Health. D. Lacaille is supported by an Investigator Award from The Arthritis Society of Canada and is the Nancy and Peter Paul Saunders Scholar. C. Bombardier holds a Canada Research Chair in Knowledge Transfer for Musculoskeletal Care, and a Pfizer Chair in Rheumatology, University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, Rheumatology Division. D.E. Beaton is supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research New Investigators Award.

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