Table 2. Characteristics of interventions and comparisons.

Study: intervention title	Provider(s) of RTW-coordination:	Affiliation of RTW-coordinator(s)	Process of RTW-coordination	Duration	Consumption of health care and other services	Adherence of RTW-coordinators and participants	Usual practice
Bültmannn 2009: “Coordinated and Tailored Work rehabilitation”	1 rehab. team: OP, occupational PT, chiropractor, psychologist, social worker, experience and training n.r.	N.r.	Standardised assessment of disability and functioning, identification of barriers for RTW; individually tailored RTW-plan, actions directed at worker, workplace, and environment. Social worker coordinates with workplace and municipality case manager	Maximal 3 month	Increase	all patients received RTW-plan	Optional case management from municipal case managers
Davey 1994: “Rehabilitation co-ordinator service”	1 coordinator: PT, experience in care coordination, no specific training	Academic rehab. unit	Assessment at the participant's home, RTW-plan with focus on involving each claimant to the fullest possible extent, coordinator discussed plan with a psychologist and a physician, monitoring, making changes as appropriate	6 month	Increase	N.r.	No restriction
Donceel 1999: “New guideline for medical advisers”	30 medical advisers: social insurance physicians, experience and training n.r.	One private insurer	Monthly follow-up: Clinical and functional assessment, exploration of barriers for RTW, advice on legal criteria, gradual RTW, exercise, and normal course of work incapacity, encouragement of rehab., communication with treating physicians; case discussion with colleagues; referral to rehab. if no RTW after 3-4 months3	As long as participant on disability benefit	N.r.	no drop-outs3	30 medical advisors, focus on corporal damage, little rehab. efforts
Feuerstein 2003: “Integrated case management”	32 nurse case managers: 2 day training in ergonomic assessment and workplace accommodations, problem solving approach, experience in coordination of medical care	US Department of Labour	Semi structured interview, ergonomic worksite assessment, case management plan with workplace accommodation, applying problem solving process, monitoring, coordination of medical care (detailed list of workplace accommodations reported2)	4 month, variable	N.r.	N.r.	33 Nurse case managers, focus on medical care, no training in a structured protocol
Lambeek 2010: “Integrated care”	2 case managers: OPs, 2-day training program	University hospital	Individualised RTW-plan, coordination of care, communication with occupational therapists (mandatory workplace intervention based on participatory ergonomics) and physical therapists (mandatory graded activity program using cognitive behavioural principles). Conference calls every three weeks, strict timing.	67 (SD 32) calendar days	Decrease	N.r.	Guidance from OPs, GPs and other health professionals. averagely 0.2 visits to case managers
Lindh 1998: “Multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme”	1 rehab. team: rehab. physician, nurse, physical therapist, psychotherapist, psychologist, occupational therapist, social worker, vocational counsellor, experience and training n.r.	Outpatient rehab. clinic	Medical, functional, psychological and social assessment, RTW-plan, weekly team conferences, regular meetings with participant and spouse	Individually regulated	N.r.	N.r.	Physical therapy and other rehab. measures
Purdon 20061: “Job Retention and Rehabilitation”	Case managers, experience and training n.r.	4 third-party case management providers	Point of contact for clients, giving advice, gate keeping to other services, sometimes providing services, coordination of medical care, rehab., employer, ergonomic workplace assessment, occupational therapy, advising on welfare rights, career, CV preparation, and job search.	20 to 36 weeks	No change	88% received RTW-plan, 72% of those followed the plan	No systematic aid; low levels of work support
Rossignol 2000: “Program for coordination of primary health care “	1 team: 2 primary care physicians, 1 nurse, experience and training n.r.	N.r.	Standardised medical assessment, RTW-plan according to clinical guideline for back pain. Assisting the treating physicians in finding and scheduling diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, cooperation with Worker's Compensation, standardised weekly telephone talk	Until RTW	No change	N.r.	Instruction to continue with treating physician
Van der Feltz-Cornelis 2010: “psychiatric consultation model”	12 OPs, training in diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. consulted by 2 psychiatrist trained in improvement of work functioning	Company of participant	Psychiatric assessment, collaborative RTW-plan, coordination of plan and monitoring by OP	Until RTW	N.r.	N.r.	Care from OP2 and mental health care professionals

RTW = return to work, n.r. = not reported, OP = occupational physician, PT = physical therapist, GP = general practitioner, rehab. = rehabilitation.

¹The trial compared three intervention arms with usual practice. We considered only the arm “combined intervention” because the other arms were restricted to either workplace or health care interventions.

²In the Dutch system, each company is obliged to have company insurance for sick leave and to offer their employees access to occupational health care. Occupational physicians provide social-medical guidance for sick listed employees with the aim to return to work (RTW) as quickly as possible. Usually, occupational physicians are organised as third party service providers.

³From personal correspondence.