Introduction: Chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions limit the ‘work-ability’ of approximately 168,000 Australians. Whilst the Commonwealth Government’s Department of Social Services (DSS) provides a modest financial safety-net, the desire of many to re-engage with work (RWW), even part-time, is met with challenges. To date, support mechanisms for those experiencing MSK disability to RWW have not been co-designed with those most affected--recipients of the Disability Support Pension (DSP)--further limited by the absence of collaboration between community, government, researchers, and policy influencers. Here, we roadmap the co-design phase of a multidisciplinary project aimed at identifying how best to support RWW by DSP recipients who are experiencing chronic MSK pain.
Methods: Based on a successful British program, our multidisciplinary working-party included policy influencers from the Australian Health Policy Collaboration; a social epidemiologist in the MSK field; an experienced Consumer Representative; and representatives from the DSS’ Behavioural Insights and Families and Pensions team, and the Department of Human Services. Over a 3-month period the working-party had numerous face-to-face and virtual planning sessions, based on equitable partnerships, and a shared vision of purpose and outcomes.
Results: The result was a co-designed translational project that will, over a subsequent 15 month period, (i) gather expert opinion from DSP recipients regarding barriers and enablers to RWW and, (ii) based on that information, co-design, with DSP recipients and other stakeholders, feasible support mechanisms and platforms to enhance capacity for RWW, then (iii) implement and evaluate those mechanisms and platforms at a national level.
Conclusion: This road-map reflects a novel multidisciplinary collaboration and a co-designed project with much potential to build capacity in those responding to the needs of DSP recipients with chronic MSK pain who wish to RWW.
Acknowledgement: Funded by Commonwealth Department of Social Services. SL Brennan-Olsen supported by NHMRC Career Development Fellowship (1107510).