scholarly journals A social-healthcare pathway to facilitate return to work of cancer survivors in Italy: The UNAMANO project

Work ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Sara Paltrinieri ◽  
Elena Ricchi ◽  
Elisa Mazzini ◽  
Elena Cervi ◽  
Elisa Sandri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Return To Work ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Job Search ◽  
Occupational Rehabilitation ◽  
Individual Risk ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Local Branch ◽  
Training Institutions ◽  
Nonprofit Associations ◽  
Personalized Intervention

BACKGROUND: Return to work (RTW) is a major goal to promote cancer survivors’ social participation. OBJECTIVE: This study describes the multidisciplinary social-healthcare pathway called UNAMANO, conceived to support RTW in this population. METHODS: UNAMANO was developed by the Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, in partnership with the local branch of the Italian Medical Association, nonprofit associations, vocational training institutions, social cooperatives, a labour union, and a chartered accounting firm. RESULTS: UNAMANO is directed towards employed individuals diagnosed with cancer living in the province of RE. It was developed through four actions: A) training healthcare professionals on work-related occupational rehabilitation; B) dissemination among community and stakeholders; C) recruitment and training of volunteers; D) cancer survivor engagement and provision of a personalized comprehensive intervention. This consists in providing information and either occupational therapy to overcome barriers and facilitate RTW or social support through re-training and tailored job search strategies based on individual risk of job loss. CONCLUSIONS: UNAMANO is the first Italian multidisciplinary social-healthcare pathway supporting RTW of cancer survivors. Addressing a wide area of cancer survivors’ needs, it provides personalized intervention to resolve work-related issues. We propose this patient-centred RTW model to promote an easier transition from hospital to community.

A Social-Healthcare Pathway to Facilitate Return to Work of Cancer Survivors in Italy: Implementation Process of the UNAMANO project

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Paltrinieri ◽  
Elena Ricchi ◽  
Elisa Mazzini ◽  
Elena Cervi ◽  
Stefania Fugazzaro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Return To Work ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Job Search ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Occupational Rehabilitation ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Local Branch ◽  
Nonprofit Associations

Abstract Purpose Return to work (RTW) is a major goal to promote cancer survivors’ social participation. A multidisciplinary social-healthcare pathway called UNAMANO was designed to support RTW in this population. Methods UNAMANO was developed by the Azienda USL – IRCCS di Reggio Emilia (RE), in partnership with the local branch of the Italian Medical Association, nonprofit associations, vocational training institutions, social cooperatives, a labour union, and a chartered accounting firm. Results UNAMANO is directed towards employed individuals diagnosed with cancer living in the Province of RE. It has been implemented through four actions: A) healthcare professionals training on work-related occupational rehabilitation; B) dissemination among community and stakeholders; C) recruitment and training of volunteers; D) cancer survivor engagement and provision of a personalized comprehensive intervention. This consists in providing information and occupational therapy to overcome barriers and facilitate RTW or social support through re-training and tailored job search strategies for individuals based on their risk of job loss. Conclusions UNAMANO is the first Italian multidisciplinary social-healthcare pathway supporting RTW of cancer survivors. Addressing a wide area of cancer survivors’ needs, it provides personalized intervention to resolve work-related issues. We propose this patient-centred RTW model to promote an easier transition from hospital to community.Implications for cancer survivors UNAMANO can positively impact on cancer survivors’ health and well-being and can be provided at any stage of disease and treatment. UNAMANO ensures that RTW is coherent with cancer survivors’ health condition and expectations.

scholarly journals Breast cancer patients’ return to work (B-CARE): protocol of a longitudinal mixed-methods study aiming to explore medical and occupational rehabilitation of patients with breast cancer in Germany

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. e033533
Author(s):  
Kati Hiltrop ◽  
Paula Heidkamp ◽  
Christoph Kowalski ◽  
Nicole Ernstmann
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Return To Work ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Breast Cancer Survivors ◽  
Occupational Rehabilitation ◽  
Medical Rehabilitation ◽  
Insurance Scheme ◽  
Pension Insurance ◽  
Care Protocol

IntroductionIn recent years, research has been done on determinants of return to work (RTW) in cancer survivors and their long-term work outcomes. Nevertheless, little is known about the survivors’ evaluation of these outcomes in terms of job satisfaction and voluntariness. Hence, B-CARE aims at filling the research gap by providing a longitudinal cohort study investigating medical and occupational rehabilitation including an evaluation by breast cancer survivors.Methods and analysisA mixed-methods approach, combining a quantitative survey with qualitative semi-structured interviews, is used to study breast cancer survivors 5–6 years after diagnosis. These data will be linked to data from prior waves of patients during hospitalisation and 10 and 40 weeks after hospital discharge as well as routine data from the German Statutory Pension Insurance Scheme and German Cancer Society if available. The actual survey focuses on determinants of medical rehabilitation use, RTW, subsequent employment patterns post care as well as the voluntariness of and satisfaction with job changes.Ethics and disseminationA positive vote from the ethics committee of the Medical Faculty of the University of Bonn has been obtained. Data protection regulations will be adhered to for all handled data. Personal identifiers of participants will be pseudonymised. Dissemination strategies include a workshop to discuss results among stakeholders such as representatives of the German Statutory Pension Insurance Scheme, social workers and self-help groups.Trial registration numberGerman Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00016982); Pre-results.

scholarly journals Epidemiological Study of Return to Work and Mortality in Lung Cancer Survivors

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 309
Author(s):  
Zhe-Yu Yang ◽  
Ching-Huang Lai ◽  
Ching-Liang Ho ◽  
Chung-Ching Wang
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Return To Work ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Lower Risk ◽  
Research Database ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Lung Cancer Patients ◽  
Work Related ◽  
All Cause Mortality

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Return to work (RTW) plays an important role for lung cancer survivors. Few studies focus solely on the relationship among possible variables and the RTW of lung cancer patients. The aim of our study was to examine sociodemographic, disease-related and work-related factors associated with RTW among lung cancer survivors in Taiwan. A total of 2206 employees who had been diagnosed with lung cancer at the Labor Insurance Database (LID), Taiwan Cancer Registry (TCR) and the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) during the period 2004–2015, were included in the study. We used the Cox proportional hazards model to investigate the associations between sociodemographic, disease-related and work-related factors on one hand and RTW on the other hand. The Kaplan–Meier method was used for analyzing the survival probability. Patients with an early cancer stage and those who underwent surgery had a higher likelihood of RTW. Factors including older age, male, higher monthly income and receipt of radiotherapy were inversely correlated with RTW. For lung cancer patients, RTW was a predictor of a lower risk of all-cause mortality in both the unadjusted and fully adjusted model. A better survival rate was found in stage III and IV lung cancer patients who had RTW. Sociodemographic and clinical-related variables had an impact on RTW among employees with lung cancer. RTW was correlated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality and better lung cancer survival. Our study showed the influence of RTW and independent confounding factors in lung cancer survivorship.

“To have and then lose the safety net” –Female cancer survivors’ experiences of the process of becoming ready to return to work

Work ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
K.S. Petersen ◽  
L.S. Anth Madsen ◽  
C.V. Nielsen ◽  
M. Labriola ◽  
C.M. Stapelfeldt
Keyword(s):  
Return To Work ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
Occupational Rehabilitation ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Data Generation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Returning To Work ◽  
Female Cancer Survivors

BACKGROUND: Validation studies have not been able to confirm the stage-specific understanding as operationalised in the readiness for return to work (RRTW) questionnaire. OBJECTIVE: To explore retrospectively how working female cancer survivors experienced the process of becoming ready to RTW during and beyond participation in an occupational rehabilitation intervention and thereby expand the understanding of the RRTW construct. METHODS: A qualitative research design was employed. Thirteen female cancer survivors were included for semi-structured interviews one to two years after they had completed active treatment and returned to work. The RRTW construct guided data generation and analysis. Content analysis was performed in four analytical steps that combined a concept-driven and a data-driven analytic strategy. RESULTS: Three themes were identified; “To have and then lose the safety net”, “Realise a changed life situation”, “Strive to balance work and everyday life”. In a time span of approximately one to two years (from receiving treatment, being enrolled in an intervention and to gradually returning to work); the identified themes were interdependent of each other as one theme gradually evolved to the next theme in the process of engaging in sustained work participation. CONCLUSIONS: The present study points towards continuous development of the RRTW construct and whether the addition of a preparedness dimension would improve validity.

scholarly journals Comparison of Two Multidisciplinary Occupational Rehabilitation Programs Based on Multimodal Cognitive Behavior Therapy on Self-Rated Health and Work Ability

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Solvoll Lyby ◽  
Thomas Johansen ◽  
Per M. Aslaksen
Keyword(s):  
Return To Work ◽  
Behavior Therapy ◽  
Work Ability ◽  
Occupational Rehabilitation ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Cognitive Behavior ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Rehabilitation Programs ◽  
Inpatient Group

Objective: Musculoskeletal pain and common mental disorders constitute the largest proportion of people who are on sick leave. This study investigated the efficacy of two multidisciplinary occupational rehabilitation programs on self-rated health and work-related outcomes. The interventions were identical in content but differed in length. It was hypothesized that a longer inpatient program would yield greater improvements than a shorter outpatient program.Methods: Patients were sick-listed workers referred to occupational rehabilitation by the Norwegian Labor and Welfare Administration. A non-randomized 2 Condition (20 days, n = 64 versus 12 days, n = 62) × 4 repeated measures (start, end, 3 months, 12 months) between-subject design was used. Both programs were based on multimodal cognitive behavior therapy with a return-to-work focus. Health-related questionnaires were the Subjective Health Complaints inventory, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and SF-36 Bodily Pain. Work-related questionnaires were the Work Ability Index, the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, Return To Work Self-Efficacy, and Return To Work expectations. Intervention effects were estimated using linear mixed models and Cohen’s d.Results: The results revealed that both groups improved on the selected outcomes. Within-group contrasts and effect sizes showed that the inpatient group showed larger effect sizes at the end of rehabilitation and 12 months post-intervention for work-related outcomes than the outpatient group.Conclusion: Both programs were efficacious in improving health- and work-related outcomes during and after rehabilitation, but the inpatient group generally displayed stronger and more rapid improvements and was more stable at one-year postintervention.

Functional, work-related rehabilitative programming for cancer survivors experiencing cancer-related fatigue

2020 ◽  
pp. 030802262092735
Author(s):  
Naomi Dolgoy ◽  
Julie M Brose ◽  
Thao Dao ◽  
Kirsten Suderman ◽  
Douglas P Gross ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Return To Work ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Specific Exercise ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Cancer Related Fatigue ◽  
Fatigue Management ◽  
Management Participation ◽  
Interdisciplinary Interventions

Introduction Cancer-related fatigue negatively impacts 50–90% of cancer survivors. In North America, approximately 50% of return-to-work interventions initially fail for survivors, with cancer-related fatigue often cited as a barrier to workability. Occupational therapy-driven cancer-related fatigue work-related programming for survivors is sparse, despite many published reviews calling for interdisciplinary interventions; to address work-related performance, specific functional interventions are likely to be needed. Further exploration and a broader understanding of survivors’ cancer-related fatigue management, participation in rehabilitative programmes, and plans for return to work are necessary to target survivor needs better. Method Drawing on social theory, this exploratory descriptive study utilised content and thematic analysis of interviews from 12 survivors to explore and describe the perspectives of survivors experiencing cancer-related fatigue yet desiring to work. Results Content analysis reflected distinct differences in fatigue-related terminology. Thematic analysis identified three themes specific to cancer-related fatigue and workability: valuing physical wellness, perceived cognitive impacts of cancer-related fatigue on function and workability, and the lack of transition from physical exercise to functional work-related activities. Conclusion Survivors identified gaps in care related to managing cognitive symptoms and the need for functional, work-related interventions to manage cancer-related fatigue. With their expertise in function, occupational therapists are well positioned to facilitate work-specific interventions, within cancer-specific exercise programming.

scholarly journals Unmet Needs for Job Maintenance of Breast Cancer Survivors

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 298-309
Author(s):  
Su Jeong Han ◽  
Hye Won Kim ◽  
Mi Ran Kim
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Return To Work ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Breast Cancer Survivors ◽  
Unmet Needs ◽  
Integrative Model ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
Family Work ◽  
Work Related

Purpose: To develop and apply an integrative model for breast cancer survivors’ return to work, survivors’ unsatisfied demands for job maintenance were identified.Methods: This study was a qualitative research that used a focus group to investigate breast cancer survivors’ unsatisfied demands for job maintenance. Data collection was conducted four times from February to October 2019 with six participants.Results: The study showed that the six participants identified the following unsatisfied demands for breast cancer survivors who returned to work: the individual’s physical and psychological condition, attitudes and support from family, work-related characteristics, the healthcare system, and social (political) issues. Thirteen sub-topics were identified.Conclusion: This study provided necessary data to prepare a strategy for breast cancer survivors to return to work and proposed to develop an integrative model and a professional training program in further research.

scholarly journals Survivors’ Dilemma: Young Adult Cancer Survivors’ Perspectives of Work-Related Goals

2021 ◽  
pp. 216507992110126
Author(s):  
Lauren Victoria Ghazal ◽  
John Merriman ◽  
Sheila Judge Santacroce ◽  
Victoria Vaughan Dickson
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Young Adult ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Financial Toxicity ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Young Adult Cancer Survivors ◽  
Adult Cancer Survivors ◽  
Young Adult Cancer

Background: Young adult cancer survivors have significant work-related challenges, including interruptions to education and employment milestones, which may affect work-related goals (WRGs). The study purpose was to explore posttreatment perspectives of WRGs in a sample of young adult hematologic cancer survivors. Methods: This qualitative descriptive study used social media to recruit eligible cancer survivors (young adults working or in school at the time of cancer diagnosis). Data were collected through telephone semi-structured interviews and analyzed using directed content analysis, followed by thematic content analysis to identify themes. Findings: The sample ( N = 40) were mostly female (63.5%), White (75%), and diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (57.5%); most worked in professional (40%) or health care (23%) roles. The overarching theme, “Survivors’ Dilemma,” highlights a changed perspective on work-related fulfillment and financial obligations, capturing survivors’ decision-making process regarding work. Three subthemes illustrated questions that participants contemplated as they examined how their WRGs had changed: (a) Self-identity: Do I want to do this work? (b) Perceived health and work ability: Can I do this work? and (c) Financial toxicity: Can I afford to/not to do this work? Conclusions/Application to Practice: Participants experienced a state of dilemma around their WRGs, weighing areas around self-identity, perceived health and work ability, and financial toxicity. Findings suggest occupational health nurses should be aware of challenges surrounding WRGs, including how goals may change following a cancer diagnosis and treatment, and the potential stressors involved in the Survivors’ Dilemma. Occupational health nurses should assess for these issues and refer young survivors to employee and financial assistance programs, as necessary.

scholarly journals Occupational Rehabilitation Following Open Mesh Surgical Repair of an Inguinal Hernia

2003 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly E Pesanelli ◽  
Joseph A Cigna ◽  
Shantanu G Basu ◽  
Andrew R Morin
Keyword(s):  
Case Report ◽  
Inguinal Hernia ◽  
Surgical Repair ◽  
Occupational Rehabilitation ◽  
Rehabilitation Program ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Ability To Work ◽  
Postoperative Rehabilitation ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Open Mesh

Abstract Background and Purpose. The purpose of this case report is to describe an occupational rehabilitation program for a person whose work-related inguinal hernia was surgically repaired. Case Description. A 35-year-old baggage service attendant acquired an inguinal hernia while lifting at work. Postoperatively, the patient had discomfort in the groin, weakness of the lower extremities and trunk, limited ability to walk, and a decreased ability to work due to impaired tolerance.Outcomes. Following postoperative rehabilitation, the patient was able to return to full-time, full-duty work. Discussion. This case report describes occupational rehabilitation as a method to treat patients with work-related inguinal hernias following surgical repair.

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