DisabilityNCT05219045
Ohio RETAIN Impact Evaluation
A study testing Ohio RETAIN in people with Disability, run by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The Retaining Employment and Talent after Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN) demonstration is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to improve employment outcomes for individuals who experience injuries or illnesses that put them at risk of exiting… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Disability
- What is being tested?
- Ohio RETAIN
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 4,525 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 19 Jan 2022to 28 Feb 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Age 18- 65
- Currently employed or actively seeking employment
- Live in Youngstown (Mahoning, Columbiana, and Trumbull Counties), Toledo (Lucas County), and Cincinnati (Butler, Clermont, Hamilton, and Warren Counties
- Provider prescribed limitations of work, FMLA paperwork submitted for provider completion, documentation of work limitations in office notes, or an illness/injury which has previously resulted in work limitations based upon the nurse's clinical judgement and experience for a treatment barrier that is prolonging recovery and return to work
- Has a qualifying musculoskeletal injury or exacerbation or a qualifying cardiovascular procedure
- Qualifying musculoskeletal injury or exacerbation: (a) Has occurred in the last 3 months and has limited their ability to work; (b) Not work related; (c) Surgery was in the last 3 months with continued limitations at work; (d) Upcoming surgery within 1 month.
- Qualifying Cardiovascular procedure: (a) CABG (Coronary Artery Bypass Graft) scheduled or done; (b) TAVR (Coronary Valve replacement with open heart entry to exclude trans-catheter) approach scheduled or done; (c) (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm) open entry approach scheduled or done; (d) Aorto-bifemoral bypass with activity restrictions for 4 weeks or more scheduled or done; (e) Cardiac Catheterization with stent placement with: i) Cardiac Rehab ordered at time of Cardiac Catheterization or ii) No Cardiac Rehab ordered at time of Cardiac Catheterization, but Cardiac Rehab has been ordered at Cardiac Catheterization follow up appointment.
Who cannot join
- Retired
- Has or is pursuing a Bureau of Workers' Compensation claim for this injury
- Has applied for or is currently receiving Social Security Insurance or Social Security Disability Insurance
- Has substance abuse disorder
- Has legal representation
- Pregnant
- Has a terminal disease
- Multiple trauma patient with multi-system involvement requiring being off work/recovery for more than 3-6 months.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS)
Columbus, Ohio, 43215
About this study
Official title: One-Year Impact Evaluation of Ohio Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN)
The Retaining Employment and Talent after Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN) demonstration is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to improve employment outcomes for individuals who experience injuries or illnesses that put them at risk of exiting the labor force and relying on disability programs and other public supports in the long term. RETAIN projects include a combination of medical provider services, stay-at-work/return-to-work (SAW/RTW) coordination services, and other SAW/RTW services. This evaluation will focus on the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services' implementation of "Ohio RETAIN." The evaluation will document how the project is implemented, describe enrollees, estimate the project's impacts on enrollees' outcomes, and assess whether the benefits outweigh the costs.
Read the detailed description
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has partnered with Mercy Health to implement "Ohio RETAIN" in Youngstown, Toledo and Cicinnati catchment areas. SSA contracted with Mathematica to conduct an independent evaluation of the program.
Under the RETAIN model medical providers receive training and incentives to use occupational health best practices. The state agency also coordinates SAW/RTW services for the enrollee, fosters communication among Ohio RETAIN stakeholders about the treatment enrollee returning to work, and monitors the enrollee's medical and employment progress. The Business Resource Network and OhioMeansJobs provide additional support for workplace-based interventions and retaining or rehabilitation of enrollees.
Ohio recruits potentially eligible workers as they receive care from medical providers. The evaluation team randomly assigns each enrollee to either a treatment group that is eligible to receive the full set of RETAIN intervention activities or a control group that is not. The evaluation team then compares the outcomes of the treatment and control groups and gathers evidence on how Ohio RETAIN shaped the outcomes of enrollees who were eligible for its services, regardless of whether they participated in those services. Data sources include enrollment data, surveys, administrative records, program data, and qualitative data.
- Conditions
- Disability
- Being tested
- Ohio RETAIN
- Keywords
- disability, employment, unemployment
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Ohio RETAINOther
RETAIN projects include a combination of medical provider services, stay-at-work/return-to-work (SAW/RTW) coordination services, and other SAW/RTW services. The evaluation compares the treatment group that is eligible to receive the full set of RETAIN intervention activities and an active comparator that is not.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| RETAIN Programming | Experimental | The experimental group receives the full set of RETAIN intervention activities. Receives: Other: Ohio RETAIN |
| Control | No intervention | Medical providers who treat both treatment and control group enrollees receive training on stay-at-work/return-to-work best practices |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Share of enrollees employed in the fourth quarter after enrollment
Share of enrollees employed in the fourth quarter after enrollment obtained from state unemployment insurance wage records. These files include individual-level wage records for six quarters surrounding enrollment in the study, including the quarter prior to enrollment, the quarter of enrollment, and four post-enrollment quarters.
Measured: Measured over the three months in the fourth quarter after enrollment
Enrollee earnings in the fourth quarter after enrollment
Sum of enrollee earnings in the fourth quarter after enrollment obtained from state unemployment insurance wage records. These files include individual-level wage records for six quarters surrounding enrollment in the study, including the quarter prior to enrollment, the quarter of enrollment, and four post-enrollment quarters.
Measured: Measured over the three months in the fourth quarter after enrollment
Share of enrollees that applied for SSDI or SSI during the 12 months after enrollment
Share of enrollees that applied for SSDI or SSI during any of the 12 months after enrollment obtained from SSA program data. These files include detailed information about Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) applications SSDI and SSI awards, SSDI and SSI benefit amounts and enrollee characteristics (for enrollees who have ever applied for SSA program benefits)
Measured: Measured in the 12 months after enrollment
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted1 Feb 2022
- Study start19 Jan 2022
- Primary completion18 Aug 2025
- Study completion28 Feb 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for DisabilityStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 4,525 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Social Security Administration
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Jill Berk, PhD, Principal investigator, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05219045
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- RTN-OH
- Status last verified
- Mar 2026
- First submitted
- 19 Jan 2022
- Last updated
- 6 Mar 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 6 Mar 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- One-Year Impact Evaluation of Ohio Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05219045
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- RTN-OH
- Conditions
- Disability
- Keywords
- disability, employment, unemployment
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 4,525 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Social Security Administration
- Study start
- 19 Jan 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 18 Aug 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 28 Feb 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 1 Feb 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The Retaining Employment and Talent after Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN) demonstration is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to improve employment outcomes for individuals who experience injuries or illnesses that put them at risk of exiting the labor force and relying on disability programs and other public supports in the long term. RETAIN projects include a combination of medical provider services, stay-at-work/return-to-work (SAW/RTW) coordination services, and other SAW/RTW services. This evaluation will focus on the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services' implementation of "Ohio RETAIN." The evaluation will document how the project is implemented, describe enrollees, estimate the project's impacts on enrollees' outcomes, and assess whether the benefits outweigh the costs.
Detailed description
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has partnered with Mercy Health to implement "Ohio RETAIN" in Youngstown, Toledo and Cicinnati catchment areas. SSA contracted with Mathematica to conduct an independent evaluation of the program.
Under the RETAIN model medical providers receive training and incentives to use occupational health best practices. The state agency also coordinates SAW/RTW services for the enrollee, fosters communication among Ohio RETAIN stakeholders about the treatment enrollee returning to work, and monitors the enrollee's medical and employment progress. The Business Resource Network and OhioMeansJobs provide additional support for workplace-based interventions and retaining or rehabilitation of enrollees.
Ohio recruits potentially eligible workers as they receive care from medical providers. The evaluation team randomly assigns each enrollee to either a treatment group that is eligible to receive the full set of RETAIN intervention activities or a control group that is not. The evaluation team then compares the outcomes of the treatment and control groups and gathers evidence on how Ohio RETAIN shaped the outcomes of enrollees who were eligible for its services, regardless of whether they participated in those services. Data sources include enrollment data, surveys, administrative records, program data, and qualitative data.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| RETAIN Programming | Experimental | Other: Ohio RETAINThe experimental group receives the full set of RETAIN intervention activities. |
| Control | No intervention | –Medical providers who treat both treatment and control group enrollees receive training on stay-at-work/return-to-work best practices |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Age 18- 65
- Currently employed or actively seeking employment
- Live in Youngstown (Mahoning, Columbiana, and Trumbull Counties), Toledo (Lucas County), and Cincinnati (Butler, Clermont, Hamilton, and Warren Counties
- Provider prescribed limitations of work, FMLA paperwork submitted for provider completion, documentation of work limitations in office notes, or an illness/injury which has previously resulted in work limitations based upon the nurse's clinical judgement and experience for a treatment barrier that is prolonging recovery and return to work
- Has a qualifying musculoskeletal injury or exacerbation or a qualifying cardiovascular procedure
Key exclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Retired
- Has or is pursuing a Bureau of Workers' Compensation claim for this injury
- Has applied for or is currently receiving Social Security Insurance or Social Security Disability Insurance
- Has substance abuse disorder
- Has legal representation
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio RETAINRETAIN projects include a combination of medical provider services, stay-at-work/return-to-work (SAW/RTW) coordination services, and other SAW/RTW services. The evaluation compares the treatment group that is eligible to receive the full set of RETAIN intervention activities and an active comparator that is not. | Other | RETAIN Programming |
Primary outcome
Share of enrollees employed in the fourth quarter after enrollment
Time frame: Measured over the three months in the fourth quarter after enrollment
Share of enrollees employed in the fourth quarter after enrollment obtained from state unemployment insurance wage records. These files include individual-level wage records for six quarters surrounding enrollment in the study, including the quarter prior to enrollment, the quarter of enrollment, and four post-enrollment quarters.
Enrollee earnings in the fourth quarter after enrollment
Time frame: Measured over the three months in the fourth quarter after enrollment
Sum of enrollee earnings in the fourth quarter after enrollment obtained from state unemployment insurance wage records. These files include individual-level wage records for six quarters surrounding enrollment in the study, including the quarter prior to enrollment, the quarter of enrollment, and four post-enrollment quarters.
Share of enrollees that applied for SSDI or SSI during the 12 months after enrollment
Time frame: Measured in the 12 months after enrollment
Share of enrollees that applied for SSDI or SSI during any of the 12 months after enrollment obtained from SSA program data. These files include detailed information about Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) applications SSDI and SSI awards, SSDI and SSI benefit amounts and enrollee characteristics (for enrollees who have ever applied for SSA program benefits)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 6 Mar 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Jill Berk, PhD principal investigator
Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Ohio RETAIN in people with Disability, run by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 8 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Mar 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Share of enrollees employed in the fourth quarter after enrollment (time frame: Measured over the three months in the fourth quarter after enrollment). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 6 Mar 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 28 Oct 2026.