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Background:The European Disability Strategy (2010–2020) seeks to significantly raise the proportion of people with disabilities working in the open labour market. The ERGO WORK project is a collaboration of academic and industrial partners in six European countries, focused on understanding and tackling barriers to workplace inclusion for workers with disabilities. Methods:This study sought to explore the perceptions and needs of stakeholders in terms of workplace adaptation to the needs of employees with disabilities. An exploratory online survey was completed by 480 participants across six countries. Results:The analysis suggests that workplaces could be further improved to meet the needs of employees with considerable scope for training within companies to raise awareness about employees’ needs, employers’ obligations and workplace adaptation. Conclusions:This snapshot suggests there is still a gap between intent and reality in workplace inclusion and further strategies are needed to improve the opportunities for employees with disabilities. The paper argues that ergonomics may have a key role to play in tackling these challenges and adapting the workplace environment and job design to suit the needs of individual employees.Implications for rehabilitationThis study suggests there is considerable scope for workplace adaptation and improvements to meet the needs of employees with disabilities.Employers need and want further specialist practitioner guidance to facilitate workplace inclusion and support adaptation to individual needs.Organisations would benefit from training to raise awareness about potential solutions and approaches that would support more widespread employment of people with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background There is a widely acknowledged need to understand more fully the economics of palliative care provision in the UK. In particular, the economic impact of reducing avoidable hospital admissions among patients with palliative care needs has not been extensively researched. Aim A recent survey of two English hospitals identified patients with palliative care needs and the proportion of these patients whose admission was potentially avoidable. Using these data, the economic impact of avoiding such hospital admissions is estimated. Methods Costs were estimated by attaching an Health Resource Group (HRG) code to each admission classified as potentially avoidable in order to determine the possible savings to be made. Alternative places of care for these patients were identified and estimates of the cost of supporting patients in these locations were derived using published unit costs. Results In the two hospitals surveyed, our study suggested that 7% of patients with palliative care needs could have been cared for elsewhere. The estimated cost saving of avoiding these admissions and supporting these patients in the community was £1527 for both hospitals over the survey period. This extrapolates to savings of around £180 000 per annum. Results were most sensitive to the cost perspective used and the estimated cost of the avoided hospital admissions. This exploratory analysis was limited by small study size and uncertainty in the costings. Conclusions Further research is required to gain a better understanding of the economic consequences of potentially avoidable hospital admissions and the extent of variations between localities and to clarify disparities in identified costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents exploratory qualitative data from a pragmatic sample ( n== 11) of vulnerable young people (aged 13-18 years) in contact with youth services. Data were gathered during a substance-use services needs assessment project undertaken in a rural county in the United Kingdom. Semi-structured qualitative interviews explored engagement with services and narratives of episodes of substance-use information-seeking. A range of different information sources were reported, but consensus was expressed regarding source credibility. Parents, particularly mothers, and older siblings were perceived as the most credible. The range of information sources utilized by young people is discussed in terms of furthering research understanding of credibility of sources of information. Implications for services and for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]