• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.6
• /
• pp.2257-2261
• /
• 2015

Background: Return to work after treatment completion is important for both cancer survivors and society. Financial distress is one of the factors that may influence the return to work in cancer survivors. However, this relationship has not been well investigated. This study aimed to determine the rate of return to work and its relation to financial distress among Iranian cancer survivors. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was undertaken among 165 cancer survivors who completed their initial treatments and had no signs of active cancer. The Return to Work questionnaire and Financial Distress/Financial Well-Being Scale were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software. Results: After initial treatments, 120 cancer survivors (72%) had returned to work, of which 50 patients (42%) had returned to full-time work and 70 (58%) reduced their work hours and returned to part-time work. Cancer survivors also reported high levels of financial distress. In addition, the financial distress was lower among patients who had returned completely to work, in comparison to patients who had quit working for cancer-related reasons (p= 0.001) or returned to work as part-time workers (p=0.001). Conclusions: The findings showed that a high percent of Iranian cancer survivors had not returned to their jobs or considerably reduced working hours after treatment completion. Accordingly, due to high levels of financial distress experienced by participants and its relation to return to work, designing rehabilitation programs to facilitate cancer survivor return to work should be considered.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.255-262
• /
• 2024

Background: Nearly half of patients diagnosed with cancer are in the middle of their traditional working age. The return to work after cancer entails challenges because of the cancer or treatments and associated with the workplace. The study aimed at providing more insight into the occupational outcomes encountered by workers with cancer and to provide interventions, programs, and practices to support their return to work. Methods: A scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O'Malley framework and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for scoping review guidelines. Relevant studies were systematically searched in PubMed/MEDLINE, SCOPUS and Grey literature from 01 January 2000 to 22 February 2024. Results: The literature search generated 3,017 articles; 53 studies were considered eligible for this review. Most of the studies were longitudinal and conducted in Europe. Three macroarea were identified: studies on the impact of cancer on workers in terms of sick leave, employment, return to work, etc.; studies reporting wider issues that may affect workers, such as the compatibility of treatment and work and employment; studies reporting interventions or policies aiming to promote the return to work. Conclusion: There is a lack in the literature in defining multidisciplinary interventions combining physical, psycho-behavioural, educational, and vocational components that could increase the return-to-work rates. Future studies should focus on interdisciplinary return to work efforts with multiple stakeholders with the involvement of an interdisciplinary teamwork (healthcare workers and employers) to combine these multidisciplinary interventions at the beginning of sick leave period.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.347-351
• /
• 2018

Background: The success of an injury intervention program can be measured by the proportion of successful return to work (RTW). This study examined factors of successful return to employment among workers suffering from work-related injuries. Methods: Data were obtained from the Social Security Organization, Malaysia database consisting of 10,049 RTW program participants in 2010-2014. The dependent variable was the RTW outcome which consisted of RTW with same employer, RTW with new employer or unsuccessful return. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to test the likelihood of successful return with same employer and new employer against unsuccessful return. Results: Overall, 65.3% of injured workers were successfully returned to employment, 52.8% to the same employer and 12.5% to new employer. Employer interest; motivation; age 30-49 years; intervention less than 9 months; occupational disease; injuries in the lower limbs, upper limbs, and general injuries; and working in the manufacturing, services, and electrical/electronics were associated with returning to work with the same employer against unsuccessful return. Male, employer interest, motivation, age 49 years or younger, intervention less than 6 months, occupational disease, injuries in the upper limbs and services sector of employment were associated with returning to new employer against unsuccessful return. Conclusion: There is a need to strengthen employer commitment for early and intensified intervention that will lead to improvement in the RTW outcome.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.117-122
• /
• 2012

Objectives: To describe the time perspective of return to work and the factors that facilitate and hinder return to work in a group of survivors of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: Retrospective semi-structured telephone survey 2 to 3 years after hospitalization with 84 employed Dutch ACS-patients from one academic medical hospital. Results: Fifty-eight percent of patients returned to work within 3 months, whereas at least 88% returned to work once within 2 years. Two years after hospitalization, 12% of ACS patients had not returned to work at all, and 24% were working, but not at pre-ACS levels. For all ACS-patients, the most mentioned categories of facilitating factors to return to work were having no complaints and not having signs or symptoms of heart disease. Physical incapacity, co-morbidity, and mental incapacity were the top 3 categories of hindering factors against returning to work. Conclusion: Within 2 years, 36% of the patients had not returned to work at their pre-ACS levels. Disease factors, functional capacity, environmental factors, and personal factors were listed as affecting subjects' work ability level.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.45 no.1
• /
• pp.147-156
• /
• 2015

Purpose: This study was done to describe the return to work experience of military officers with cancer. Methods: Individual in-depth interviews with 15 participants were conducted between September 2013 and April 2014. Participants were interviewed 1~4 times; interviews continued until the data became saturated. Data were analyzed using Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory. Results: The core category emerged as "living a new life after enduring difficulties". The return to work process consisted of four sequential phases: chaos, positive thought formation, behavior practices, and reformation. Action/interaction strategies used by military officers with cancer to resolve enduring difficulties were controlling emotions, accepting reality, prioritizing health, making efforts to improve relationships, and looking for future jobs. Conclusion: These results will promote understanding of military officers' return to work experience following cancer survival, and will be helpful in developing more effective nursing interventions through enhanced perspectives and insights of practitioners.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.286-293
• /
• 2022

Background: The death rate of workers due to industrial accidents in South Korea (3.61 persons in 2017) is higher than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development average (2.43) and the fifth highest among Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member countries. Although the pandemic of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has changed, the socioeconomic aspects of Korean society, the number of Koreans suffering accidents and the number of deaths in 2020 have increased. It is necessary to take measures to prevent accidents and make comprehensive efforts to return to work. This study proposes research questions about the effect of workers' positive perception on whether to work after accidents and the impact of the experience of rehabilitation services on the return to work. Methods: This research performed a panel logistic regression analysis using data on workers' compensation insurance in Korea for two years (2018-2019). Results: This research finds that workers' positive perceptions of workability and life satisfaction contributed affirmatively to their re-employment. Several factors related to employment (e.g., work period, the number of job qualifications) also positively affect their return to work. However, the experience of rehabilitation services did not have a significant effect on re-employment. The variables of their health conditions (e.g., disability grade, feelings of health problems, age) negatively influenced their return to jobs. Conclusion: These results suggest the importance of workers' mental recovery and the need to innovate rehabilitation services for their employment. Positive thinking and self-rehabilitation could be critical for workers, parallel with social welfare policies.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.157-163
• /
• 2012

Objective: This study is to understand medical management method in shipbuilding industry. Background: In shipbuilding industry, medical management for prevention of work-related musculoskeletal diseases due to limitations of engineering measures may be important measure. Results: Medical management of musculoskeletal diseases can be divided into primary, secondary, tertiary preventions. Primary preventions consist of symptom survey, appropriate work placement with work capacity evaluation, health promotion. Second preventions are early detection of symptomatic patient and appropriate treatment. Tertiary preventions are rehabilitation treatment and early return-to-work by return-to-work evaluation. In addition, patients with psychological counseling for emotional problems are needed. Conclusion: Medical management measures such as improving the work environment to be made are expected to exert greater effects.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
• /
• v.16 no.5
• /
• pp.741-750
• /
• 2016

Objectives: This study aims to identify dentists' opinions about the return to work of the dental hygienists with career interrupted. Convenience sampling was made of 22 dentists with the clinical experience (about 0.25%) of the 4,944 members of Gyeonggi-do Dental Association. Data were collected through an electronic survey using e-mails and telephone interviews and analyzed using the constant comparison method. Methods: Open coding was assigned to the initial data from the survey in an explicit language, and focusing on the types of their employment, working conditions, etc. Summarization and conceptualization were made of the second data in an implicit language. Results: Most of the dentists were found to have positive attitudes toward the return to work of career interrupted dental hygienists and hope to adjust their wages based on their job performance or after their probational period expires. Most of the dentists were found to have positive attitudes towards the hygienists' flexible working although their concerns about work efficiency and hospital atmosphere. This study is a qualitative study that describes dentists' opinions and presents the need for the career interrupted dental hygienists to return to work. Conclusions: The study proposed that the educational institutions should take into account the hygienists' opinions when implementing the programs for promoting their return to work and their evaluative studies.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.33-45
• /
• 2016

Purpose: This study was conducted to generate a grounded substantive theory of the adaptation process of nurses who return to work after taking parental leave. Methods: Individual in-depth interviews with 13 participants were conducted between June and September 2014. Participants were interviewed 1~3 times; interviews were continued until the data became saturated. Data were analyzed using Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory method. Results: The core category of experience of the process of adaptation as a nurse who returned to work after parental leave was 'trying to regain one's previous position'. Participants used five interactional strategies: 'preparing in advance', 'initiating relationships with colleagues', 'keeping a positive attitude', 'understanding parenting helpers', 'Taking burden off one's mind'. Conclusion: The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the adaptation process of nurses returning to work after taking parental leave. The importance of improving nurses' attitudes to their co-workers who take parental leave is highlighted along with the necessity of providing a family-friendly work environment. These results can be used to develop supportive policies and programs for nurses who return to their work after parental leave.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.24 no.10
• /
• pp.967-972
• /
• 1991

Between Feb. 1982 and July 1990, 173 patients [male: 89, female: 84] Who underwent heart valve replacement for acquired valvular heart disease on the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, were reviewed for return to work after heart valve replacement. The replaced valve were mitral [128, 74.0%], aortic[10, 5.8%], mitral & aortic[35, 20.2%]. Two tricuspid valve replacement were excluded. Several important factors influencing the return to work were age, the employment status before surgery, the number of replaced valve, the pre - op NYHA functional class and cardiac function [ejection fraction]. These factors were closely related to the optimal time of heart valve replacement. It can be concluded that the rate of return to work and the quality of life would be improved if valve replacement were performed at an earlier stage of valvular heart disease.