26 Chapter 2 Table 1 Conceptualization and operationalization of the concept ‘inability to work full time’ Conceptualization (identifying key elements) Characteristics Inability to work normal working hours Variability of inability to work fulltime: - due to time - due to underlying disease Dimensions Disease and personal factors (i.e. psychological and lifestyle factors) Environmental factors (i.e. work-related and social factors, and norms) Operationalization (measurable indicators) Indicators Fatigue Cognitive impairments Restrictions in functioning in- and outside work Assessment methods Self-assessment Assessment interviews Functional testing Assessment in the actual work setting Conceptualization of inability to work fulltime Characteristics of inability to work fulltime Most participants found inability to work fulltime a complex concept to operationalize. It describes the inability of a person to work normal working hours, i.e. not able to work a normal number of hours per day and per week. Important characteristics of inability to work fulltime are that it is strongly individually determined and is variable. One patient representative stated when asked; “What do you consider a normal work-time capacity?”: “that, of course, varies from person to person” Pa8). A physician stated: “the work capacity, that is different for each person” (Ph7). Additionally, two aspects were described characterizing the variable nature of inability to work fulltime: variability due to time, and variability due to the underlying disease. Variability due to time. Inability to work fulltime varies over time due to many different factors. As one physician stated: “We are not machines. We are influenced by all sorts of things happening in and outside ourselves over time. That varies all the time” (Ph3). Another physician stated: “When you’re talking about work ability in terms of a social norm, I think it varies over time. Nowadays we expect other things from people than twenty years ago” (Ph1).
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTk4NDMw