Stroke survivors' long-term participation in paid employment.
Winke van Meijeren-Pont, Judith M van Velzen, Gerard Volker and 7 others
PMID 37781842WHAT IT FOUND
Half of stroke survivors with pre-stroke jobs still had employment contracts at 30 months, but many were on sick leave.
Those who stayed in the workforce reported better quality of life and communication, yet non-work participation remained restricted and less satisfying.
Key findings
01At 30 months, 50.6% of participants reported having paid employment, a decrease from 84.3% at 6 months.
02Participants who retained paid employment had significantly better baseline quality of life and communication scores than those who did not.
03Patients without paid employment reported more restrictions and less satisfaction in non-work participation activities compared to those with paid employment.
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 was conducted in a single rehabilitation facility in the Netherlands, so results may not generalize to other healthcare or social security systems. The sample size was relatively small (170 participants). There was missing data for some patients regarding sick leave and work adaptations. The definition of 'paid employment' included those on sick leave, which may overstate actual work participation. Selection bias cannot be ruled out, as only patients who completed the 30-month questionnaire were included.
Declared interests
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the 50.6% employment rate at 30 months as 50.6% of patients working full-time. Many of these patients were on partial or full sick leave, though the proportion actually working increased over time. Also, do not assume that physical mobility was the key factor in employment retention, as it was not significantly associated with staying in the workforce in this study.