Pain-at-Work Toolkit for employees with chronic pain (definitive trial) 

This project will investigate the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and implementation of the Pain-at-Work Toolkit in supporting employees with chronic pain to improve work ability and productivity.

Why is this important?

Chronic pain affects 28 million adults in the UK, with a projected increase of 32% by 2040. It accounts for societal costs equivalent to 4% of GDP, with 80% of these costs linked to work productivity loss. People living with chronic pain often face barriers to productivity and workforce participation, exacerbating social inequalities such as the disability pay gap. Existing support services and workplace interventions rarely address work-related outcomes for individuals with chronic pain, particularly those with multiple conditions or those who are not accessing healthcare services.

The Pain-at-Work Toolkit offers a scalable, evidence-based solution to address unmet needs, improving work ability and reducing social inequalities. The project builds on previous Nuffield and Arthritis UK funded research which demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of the toolkit.

What does it involve?

The research team’s primary objective is to determine the toolkit’s effectiveness in improving work ability for working-age adults with chronic pain through a cluster randomised controlled trial. The secondary objective is to evaluate changes in a range of outcomes such as work self-efficacy, sickness absence, presenteeism, work productivity loss, and symptoms of anxiety and depression.

The research will be completed in three stages:

1. Conducting an open-label, two-arm cluster randomised controlled trial comparing the toolkit intervention group with a treatment-as-usual control group. Participants will include working-age adults with chronic pain from diverse employment settings in the UK.
2. Performing a cost-utility analysis assessing intervention costs, resource use, and health outcomes.
3. Assessing delivery, uptake, and contextual factors shaping the toolkit’s impact. Data collection will include monitoring records, satisfaction surveys, engagement analytics, and semi-structured interviews with participants and stakeholders.

How will it make a difference?

Findings will be shared with key stakeholders, including policymakers, professional bodies, employers, healthcare professionals, line managers, HR specialists, and occupational health experts. Dissemination activities will aim to inform policies, influence workplace practices, and reduce social inequalities by improving work participation.

This project is funded in partnership with Arthritis UK as part of our Oliver Bird Fund