Feasibility and acceptability of a self-management intervention supporting return to work for women with breast cancer.
Naomi Algeo, Kathleen Bennett, Louise Brennan and 1 others
PMID 40599218WHAT IT FOUND
All ten women who joined this six-week online return-to-work programme finished it, and every one said the format was acceptable.
The study tested whether the intervention could be delivered, not whether it improved work outcomes.
Key findings
01Ten participants were recruited from twelve eligible women approached, meeting the study's recruitment feasibility criterion.
02All ten participants completed the intervention, interviews and questionnaires, achieving 100% retention.
03Participants described the online delivery as easy and flexible, and all preferred the blended group and one-to-one format.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
This was a feasibility study, not an efficacy trial, so it cannot determine if the intervention improves work or health outcomes. The sample was very small (n=10) and recruited from a single support centre in Ireland, limiting generalisability. The lead researcher was also the intervention provider, which may have influenced participant responses and acceptability ratings. There was no control group, so any changes observed cannot be confidently attributed to the intervention rather than time or natural recovery. The study took place during pandemic restrictions, which may have affected adherence and the acceptability of online delivery.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The research was supported by an Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postgraduate Programme Scholarship.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the high completion rates and positive participant feedback as evidence that the intervention improves return-to-work outcomes or quality of life. This study only tested whether the programme could be delivered and accepted, not whether it worked.