Table 2.

Conclusions and recommendations.

Implications for individual pain management

Pain assessment should include questions about workplace and other systems.

Assessment of occupational factors requires trust and rapport.

Addressing work disability factors may require ancillary support and referral.

System-level factors may be primary drivers of pain and behavior change.

Review of occupational context may improve pain outcomes.

Ability to self-manage pain may depend on environmental and system factors.

Implications for working within systems

Clinicians can incorporate work outcomes into routine pain treatment protocols.

Clinicians can work within organizations to address pain treatment barriers.

Communication is a key aspect of work disability prevention.

Disability management should be aligned with other workplace injury protection and health promotion programs.

Program evaluations and research studies to evaluate innovative pain management can be facilitated through collaborations with organizational systems.

Understanding system-level and organizational factors can improve implementation of new pain management and disability prevention strategies.

Improving communication between healthcare providers and employment settings is a necessary element for reducing pain-related work disability.