Family physician’s roles and responsibilities *

IMPORTANT NOTE: Some of these elements may also be handled by other healthcare professionals, such as rehabilitation professionals. Of course, this sharing of roles/responsibilities depends on the acts reserved for the various professionals in your part of the world.

  1. Assess the worker’s needs in order to decide if his/her health condition requires a sick leave. Ensure that the health of the worker is prioritized: sick leave certificates are used to enable the worker’s recovery process according to his/her medical condition. Whenever possible, indicate a specific period of sick leave (Corbière et al., 2020)
  2. Adopt a preventive approach by offering a treatment and prompt assistance (Corbière et al., 2020)
  3. Assess the worker’s symptoms and functional limitations and carefully monitor their evolution. Refer the worker to another health specialist if necessary (psychiatrist, psychotherapist or rehabilitation professional) (Corbière et al., 2020)
  4. If necessary, prescribe drugs and actively monitor their effects (improvement, deterioration, side effects) (Corbière et al., 2020)
  5. Know and assess the worker’s tasks and responsibilities and his/her work environment (e.g., work conditions and workload, staff relations) (Corbière et al., 2020)
  6. Be familiar with the procedures required by insurers and employers, and provide the documents required within a reasonable time frame (Corbière et al., 2020)
  7. Foster a stable and lasting relationship with the worker (e.g., if possible, avoid referring the worker to other generalists) (Corbière et al., 2020)
  8. Know that an overprotective attitude can have a negative impact on the worker’s mood and interfere with his/her RTW process (Corbière et al., 2020)
  9. Know that only recommending rest may be detrimental to the worker’s recovery (Corbière et al., 2020)
  10. Take the worker’s interests and motivations into consideration when making decisions about his/her health (Corbière et al., 2020)
  11. Encourage and support the worker’s self-determination and highlight the importance of the worker’s active role in the recovery and RTW process (Corbière et al., 2020)
  12. Promote the worker’s education about the psychosocial risk factors underlying health problems (e.g., workload, stress, conflictual relationships) (Corbière et al., 2020)
  13. Help the worker navigate the health system (Corbière et al., 2020)
  14. Encourage the worker’s behavioral and social reactivation to facilitate his/her recovery and RTW process. Suggest for instance planning daily activities and resuming social activities while balancing recovery needs and rest (Corbière et al., 2020)
  15. Encourage the worker to deal with problems encountered and to use problem-solving strategies, be they work-related or not (Corbière et al., 2020)
  16. †Value social supports as they can protect the worker from the negative effects of work-related stress (Corbière et al., 2020)
  17. Encourage the worker to think about the possibility and conditions of a gradual RTW even before his/her full recovery (Corbière et al., 2020)
  18. Suggest or prescribe workplace accommodations and RTW procedures that meet the worker’s needs (Corbière et al., 2020)
  19. Monitor closely the worker’s health to keep abreast of treatment progress (Corbière et al., 2020)

* In Quebec, clinical nurses and nurse practitioners share certain roles and responsibilities with physicians. They can therefore take charge of some of these elements.

† Applies more specifically to workers with a common mental disorder.