Professional and social activity of patients after heart transplant

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of the study is to describe both professional and social activities of patients after heart transplant. Material and Methods: Ninety-five heart transplant patients treated at the Silesian Center for Heart Diseases in Zabrze were surveyed, comprising 29 women (30.5%) and 66 men (69.5%). The average age of respondents was 54.3 years old (standard deviation (SD) = 15 years); the average period that had elapsed since the heart transplant was 7.1 years (SD = 4 years). We designed a questionnaire as a tool for collecting information from patients. Results: Twenty-five percent of patients worked at the time of completion of the questionnaire. Eighty percent of those patients were working before and after the transplant, 20% -only after transplantation (p < 0.05). A different job position at a new workplace had 47.8% of patients, 34.8% of them had the same job position at the same work place as they had had before, 63.4% of the heart transplant respondents were pensioners. Eighty-two percent of patients had a certificate with a designated degree of disability -among them: 69% had a certificate for a significant degree of disability, 22% -for a moderate degree of disability. Among those surveyed, 52.5% said that their financial situation had not changed whereas 34.5% of those surveyed reported a change for the worse. Thirty-seven percent of respondents reported changes in family relationships. Seventy-seven percent reported that they received help from family members, as compared with 19% who did not. Conclusions: Only 25.3% of the patients treated at the Silesian Centre for Heart Diseases after heart transplant are employed and it is one of the lowest employment rates in this category of patients in Europe. One third of working patients have the same work place as they had before their operation. Heart transplant is a cause of changes in family relationships. Most often family bonds are strengthened but sometimes family members become nervous, impatient and unwilling to talk about the transplant. IJOMEH 2015;28(4) 742While it is useful to study the quality of professional life following transplant, it is also important to assess this as only one aspect of overall quality of life. As such, the aim of the study is to describe both professional and social activities of patients after heart transplant. MATERIAL AND METHODSNinety-five heart transplant patients treated at the Silesian Center for Heart Diseases in Zabrze were surveyed, comprising 29 women (30.5%) and 66 men (69.5%). Among the respondents, 18% of them had only primary education, 32.5% -vocational education, 33.5% of them had completed high school, and 16% of them had advanced education. Eighty percent of patients were living in cities. The average age of respondents was 54.3 years old (standard deviation (SD) = 15 years), the youngest of them was 18 years old and the oldest one -74 years old. The average age of the women was 45 years old, the average age of men was 58 years old (p < 0.001). For the entire surveyed group, the average...

Employment after heart transplantation among adults with congenital heart disease

“…29 In single-center studies conducted in countries with single-payer health insurance, rates of employment after HTx have ranged from 25% to 69%, although these estimates are limited by small samples and inconsistent durations of follow-up. [30][31][32] Most importantly, our results suggest significantly lower employment participation after HTx for CHD, compared to the overall population of US adults with CHD (64%). 25 In part, lower employment among adults with CHD who receive HTx may be attributed to the severity of CHD and probable presence of comorbidities that limit work ability even after patients recover from the transplant.…”

“…This proportion is similar to data recently reported for US adults of working age receiving HTx for any indication in 2010–2014 but is lower than the 3‐y post‐HTx employment rate (46%) for adults ages 25–60 reported in the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Registry . In single‐center studies conducted in countries with single‐payer health insurance, rates of employment after HTx have ranged from 25% to 69%, although these estimates are limited by small samples and inconsistent durations of follow‐up . Most importantly, our results suggest significantly lower employment participation after HTx for CHD, compared to the overall population of US adults with CHD (64%) .…”

A Systematized Review of Professional Employment Following Thoracic Transplantation

“…Posttransplant employment rates for professional employment were differentiated by organ type and ranged from 19.7% to 69.4% for heart, and from 7.4% to 50.8% for lung recipients, respectively (Figure 2). In addition, in 9 of the included studies, 8–10,18,20,23,25,27,32 return to work rates (same or different job) for recipients posttransplant were provided. These rates ranged from 37.1% to 88.3% for heart recipients, 8,9,18,20,23,32 and from 27.0% to 51.6% for lung recipients, 8,10,25,27,32 respectively (Figure 2).…”

“…In addition, in 9 of the included studies, 8–10,18,20,23,25,27,32 return to work rates (same or different job) for recipients posttransplant were provided. These rates ranged from 37.1% to 88.3% for heart recipients, 8,9,18,20,23,32 and from 27.0% to 51.6% for lung recipients, 8,10,25,27,32 respectively (Figure 2).…”

“…Four studies determined 6 facilitators for professional employment including the availability of the previous job, 24 better self-reported health, 24 physician encouragement to work, 24 a desire to enter the paid workforce, 24 higher physical activity levels, 8,27 and living in cities. 18…”