PTOTSLPCohortJournal of rehabilitation medicine2023

Returning to Work after Stroke: Associations with Cognitive Performance, Motivation, Perceived Working Ability and Barriers.

Katri Saar, Asko Tolvanen, Erja Poutiainen and 1 others

PMID 36622215

WHAT IT FOUND

Stroke survivors with higher cognitive scores, better self-perceived working ability, and fewer perceived barriers were more likely to return to work.

Self-assessments predicted return-to-work at 12 months, while early cognitive screening predicted it at 6 months.

Key findings

01Better cognitive performance on the CoMet screening test was significantly correlated with returning to work at 6 months after stroke.

02Self-perceived working ability and perceived barriers to returning to work were significant predictors of returning to work at the 12-month follow-up.

03The CoMet total score from the initial assessment correctly predicted 80% of individuals who had not returned to work by 6 months.

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

Individuals with severe post-stroke deficits were excluded, so the results do not apply to patients with significant physical or cognitive impairments. Motivation was measured with only one simple yes/no question, which may not capture the complexity of a patient's drive to work. The 24-month follow-up was based on a smaller subsample of 44 participants, making the findings about dropping out of work less reliable. Thirteen participants dropped out of the study by the 12-month mark, which could have influenced the results.

Declared interests

The text does not report any conflicts of interest or specific funding sources.

The easy way to misread this

Do not assume that cognitive screening alone is sufficient to predict long-term return to work. At 12 months, the patient's own perception of their ability and barriers was a stronger predictor than the initial cognitive test score.

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