[Evaluation of a Vocationally Oriented Concept within Inpatient Oncological Rehabilitation]. / Evaluation eines berufsbezogenen Konzepts im Rahmen der stationären onkologischen Rehabilitation.

AIM OF THE STUDY: We evaluated an occupation-related rehabilitation program, which has been designed to enhance the return to work of cancer patients. As return to work plays an important role to get back to normalcy after suffering from cancer, there is a substantial need for support and evaluated programs. METHODS: The study had a quasi-experimental design with an intervention group (IG) and a comparison group (CG). We defined performance-related outcomes (e. g. return to work, self-assessed working capacity), asked patients if they needed further vocational advice and how helpful they estimated the rehabilitation treatment. 1 year after the end of rehabilitation 309 employed patients had completed the study (65%). We addressed our research questions using non-parametric tests, t-tests, analyses of variance and logistic regressions. RESULTS: Of the 309 patients 58% started rehabilitation not later than 14 days after the end of acute treatment while the other 42% had finished their treatments at least some weeks or even months ago. Patients of the IG evaluated the work-related rehabilitation offers significantly better and needed less additional vocational advice after the end of rehabilitation (n. s.). Regarding the patients, who started rehabilitation not later than 14 days after the end of acute treatment (beginning of rehabilitation n=269, 12 months after rehabilitation n=174), the IG achieved a slightly higher return-to-work-rate 12 months after the end of rehabilitation (81% IG, 76% CG, n. s.). Above that the IG estimated their subjective working capacity significantly more often as fully re-established (IG 46%; CG 29%, p=0,030). CONCLUSIONS: A high percentage of the patients return to work (78%). These results show the success of oncological rehabilitation in helping patients to return to work. In addition, the occupation-related rehabilitation program enhances subjective variables as the satisfaction of the patients regarding the information and the improvement of the patients' working-capacity.

[Gender-related aspects of returning to work in cancer survivors. A systematic review]. / Geschlechtsspezifische Aspekte der Rückkehr zur Arbeit bei Patientinnen und Patienten mit einer Krebserkrankung. Ein systematisches Review.

Due to improved prognosis most cancer survivors are nowadays able to return to work. This review explored gender-related differences in work-related outcomes after cancer. A systematic search of studies on work-related issues in cancer survivors published between January 2001 and July 2011 was conducted. 44 original publications met the inclusion criteria (adult cancer survivors, focus on work-related outcomes, gender-specific report of results). The results of these studies indicate that impaired work ability is more common among female cancer survivors than among male cancer survivors as well as the reduction of working hours and income losses. Supportive work environments seem to be particularly helpful for the successful and long-lasting re-integration of female survivors. More systematic research and separate analyses for women and men are needed to fully comprehend gender differences in work-related outcomes. Broader knowledge can then be helpful in creating gender-specific return-to-work interventions.

[Return to work--experiences and expectations of cancer patients during inpatient rehabilitation]. / Rückkehr zur Arbeit--Erfahrungen und Erwartungen von Patientinnen und Patienten in der stationären onkologischen Rehabilitation.

AIMS: Returning to work after cancer frequently plays an important role for patients of working age. Accordingly, occupation and return to work are key issues for these patients during rehabilitation. So far there is only little empirical evidence from Germany concerning the expectations cancer patients in inpatient rehabilitation hold in relation to their return to work. Negative expectations may hamper returning to work. The context of rehabilitation offers the opportunity to work on potential problems to prepare a successful re-entry into employment. The aim of this study is to analyze the expectations of patients towards getting back to work and how helpful in this respect they estimate the work-related therapies provided during rehabilitation. Furthermore we asked whether professional support should be offered already before getting into inpatient rehabilitation and to what extent they have experienced that kind of help. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 32 cancer patients who participated in inpatient cancer rehabilitation. All patients had been recruited within the same clinic. Interviews were analyzed based on Mayring's "Qualitative Content Analysis". RESULTS: The majority of the patients experienced positive reactions from their occupational environment after learning about the diagnosis. Most of them are optimistic to get help from colleagues and supervisors when returning to work. Prior to their rehabilitation stay 47% had received counseling on cancer and return to work from general practitioners or oncologists. Regarding the occupation-related offers during rehabilitation, the results suggest that women and men have different needs. Women consider them to be more helpful than men. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that after having received their diagnosis most cancer patients do not experience negative reactions from their work environment and consequently report few worries with regard to returning to work. The different views on work-related offers during rehabilitation indicate that the concepts of occupation-related therapies within cancer rehabilitation might be optimized by taking the different needs of male and female patients into account.