Factors Predicting Return to Work After Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation: A Retrospective Follow-up Study.
San San Tay, Christine Alejandro Visperas, Mark M J Tan and 2 others
PMID 36968164WHAT IT FOUND
Stroke survivors who viewed returning to work as important, had no language impairment, and scored well on walking and thinking tests at rehab discharge were more likely to return to work.
Office workers and those with fewer other health problems also had higher odds.
Key findings
01In the multivariable model, viewing return to work as important, absence of language impairment, walking FIM score of 5 or higher, and cognitive FIM score of 25 or higher at discharge were significant predictors of returning to work.
02Holding a premorbid office job and having a lower Charlson Comorbidity Index score at discharge were also independent predictors of successful return to work.
03Age was a significant predictor in the clinical model but lost statistical significance when demographic factors were added to the analysis.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study relied on telephone interviews, which introduces the possibility of recall bias. The study was underpowered to detect if the effect of stroke severity (NIHSS) on return to work was modified by functional status at discharge. The results are specific to a Singaporean context and may not apply to other healthcare systems or populations. The Functional Independence Measure (FIM) is no longer used in some countries, such as the US, limiting the generalizability of the specific predictive tools identified. Cognitive assessment relied on the FIM rather than standardized cognitive tests, which may have reduced precision in measuring cognitive impairment.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that age is a definitive barrier to returning to work based on this study. While age was significant in earlier models, it was not a significant independent predictor in the final model that included demographic and attitudinal factors.