It’s well known that prolonged periods of unemployment make it harder to return to the labor market, so it’s perhaps no surprise that many policy efforts are focused on those early months of unemployment.  A recent study from the University of Toronto suggests that an unexpected sector could play a crucial role.

“Employment status is a key social determinant of health, or a social aspect that impacts our well-being,” the authors say. “Our goal with this research was to look at how health care settings can assist patients with gaining employment, and which strategies work best.”

Healthy employment

The researchers analyzed a number of interventions where healthcare organizations aimed to get patients back into employment across 88 individual studies.

The research revealed that, rather surprisingly, interventions by healthcare organizations were nearly always successful, with the average gain in employment of around 50%.  The analysis did reveal a number of factors that were especially beneficial however:

1. A multidisciplinary intervention team – It was found to be crucial that the intervention team consisted of both employment specialists and healthcare professionals, and they work effectively together.
2. A range of services for patients – It probably goes without saying that a wide range of services was valuable, including job searching, networking, education and mentoring.
3. Individual services for each patient – The best services were nearly all individualized to the specific patient, based upon their skills, education, career history and preferences.
4. A broad view of their social needs – Health can be impacted by a range of things, including housing, and it’s vital to appreciate these when helping people find work.
5. Working closely with employers – Again, it sounds obvious, but working closely with employers was also hugely valuable so that the needs of employers can be matched with available talent.

“We recognize that these interventions may not be possible for all organizations,” the authors say. “Our study can assist with the design of successful employment interventions that are realistic. Certain team-based primary care organizations have the opportunity to develop a pathway for patients dealing with unemployment.”