Effectiveness of a Tailored Work-Related Support Intervention for Patients Diagnosed with Gastrointestinal Cancer: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.
A C G N M Zaman, K M A J Tytgat, J H G Klinkenbijl and 20 others
PMID 32880094WHAT IT FOUND
Early tailored work support did not significantly reduce time off work for gastrointestinal cancer patients.
The study was underpowered, but patients receiving support returned to work in a median of 190 days compared to 233 days for usual care.
Key findings
01The primary outcome of time from sick leave until return to work showed no statistically significant difference between the intervention and control groups.
02The intervention group had a median time to return to work of 190 days, while the control group took 233 days.
03The study failed to recruit the required sample size of 309 patients, including only 88, which limited its statistical power.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was severely underpowered because it recruited only 88 patients instead of the calculated 309, making it difficult to detect true differences. Patients, healthcare professionals, and researchers were not blinded to the group assignments. The control group received questionnaires that included work-related items, which may have raised their awareness and prompted them to seek their own support, reducing the contrast between groups. The intervention was delivered across 16 hospitals, which may have led to inconsistencies in how the support was provided.
Declared interests
The study was supported by non-U.S. government funding. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the numerical difference in return-to-work times as evidence that the intervention works. The study was underpowered, and the primary outcome was not statistically significant, so the observed 43-day difference could be due to chance.