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. 2023 Feb 15;13(2):e069174. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-069174

Table 4.

Results of the second-round ratings presented for all stakeholders combined (overall) and for each stakeholder group separately

Outcome Overall
(n=55)
Researcher
(n=37)
Employee
(n=10)
Occupational health professional
(n=4)
Policy maker
(n=3)
Employer
(n=1)
Clarifying text for new outcomes added to the second round (table 1 contains all initial outcomes) ; % score 7–9 ; % score 7–9 ; % score 7–9 ; % score 7–9 ; % score 7–9 score
Stage 1: Initiating employment
Any type of employment including self-employment (Outcome replaces all previous outcomes for stage 1. Also included in stage 2.) 6.2; 55% 6.6; 65% 6; 40% 5.3; 25% 6; 33% 1 n.a.
Stage 2: Having employment
Employment—any type of employment including self-employment 7.9; 87% 8; 89% 7.4; 80% 7; 7.5% 8.7; 100% 9 n.a.
Sustainable employment (New outcome based on suggestion from Delphi round 1 and the discussion: Any type of employment including self-employment AND one or more indicators of quality of working life (such as work life balance, healthy work, optimal work, work accommodations, decent work)) 7.2; 66% 6.7; 60% 8.6; 100% 7.8; 75% 5; 0% 9 n.a.
Work disability—self reported inability to engage in any work participation (Rephrased outcome based on the discussion). 6.9; 64% 7; 65% 7.4; 80% 7.8; 75% 4.3; 0% 1 n.a.
Employment—having lost employment 6.5; 56% 6.7; 60% 7.6; 80% 6; 25% 4.3; 0% 1 n.a.
Stage 3: Increasing or maintaining employment
Work productivity loss (economic evaluation) 6.4; 62% 6.6; 70% 6.5; 50% 5; 25% 6.7; 67% 1 n.a.
Work ability 6.5; 60% 6.6; 60% 7.3; 90% 5.5; 25% 6.7; 67% 1 n.a.
Work activity impairment 6; 51% 5.5; 41% 7.5; 80% 6.8; 50% 6; 67% 9 n.a.
Perceptions affecting productivity 5.2; 35% 4.7; 24% 6.8; 70% 5; 50% 4.3; 0% 9 n.a.
Stage 4: return to employment
Return to employment
Return to work—proportion of workers 8; 91% 8; 92% 7.6; 90% 8.5; 100% 7.7; 67% 9 n.a.
Time to return to work 7.8; 80% 8; 84% 7.6; 80% 7.8; 75% 6; 33% 9 n.a.
Sustainable return to work—proportion of workers 7.2; 62% 7.2; 62% 7.7; 70% 7.8; 75% 5.3; 33% 9 n.a.
Duration of absence from work due to health problem over a period of time. (This outcome replaces previous sickness absence outcomes based on the suggestions from round 1 and the discussion) 6; 38% 6; 40% 6.7; 40% 5.5; 25% 6.7; 33% 1 n.a.
Return to work—the worker’s perceptions 5.4; 38% 5.1; 24% 7.4; 90% 3.5; 25% 4.3; 33% 9 n.a.

Ratings are presented for the four work participation stages. The outcomes from the Delphi rounds are presented within each stage from most to least highly rated. Only outcomes which received a mean score of 7–9 for 50%–80% of the participants in the first Delphi round are included. We present the mean score (x¯) given to each outcome per group and the percentage of the stakeholders within each group who rated an outcome with a score between 7 and 9. Further description of analysis can be found in section the ‘Data analysis’.

N.a, not applicable.