Return to Work Interventions for Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review and a Methodological Critique

Abstract

Cancer patients are more at risk of being unemployed or having difficulties to return to work (RTW) compared to individuals without health concerns, and is thus a major public health issue. The aim of this systematic review is to identify and describe the interventions developed specifically to help cancer patients to RTW after treatment. Two researchers independently screened the articles for inclusion and Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) checklists were used to assess the methodology of the included studies. Ten manuscripts met the inclusion criteria. The type of studies were three quasi-experimental studies, three longitudinal studies, three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and a qualitative study. RTW interventions were conducted in or outside the hospital (n = 6 and 3 respectively), or both (n = 1). Improvements in RTW were only observed in quasi-experimental studies. No improvement in RTW was noted in RCTs, nor in other measures (e.g., quality of life, fatigue). Lack of statistically significant improvement does not necessarily reflect reality, but may be attributed to non-adapted research methods. This systematic review underscores the need for researches in the RTW field to reach a consensus on RTW criteria and their assessment. Recommendations to this effect are suggested.

Chronic Diseases and Employment: Which Interventions Support the Maintenance of Work and Return to Work among Workers with Chronic Illnesses? A Systematic Review

“…Within the framework of the CHRODIS Plus project, two systematic reviews were conducted: (1) this review on RTW and chronic diseases in general and (2) a previously published review on RTW and cancer [11]. The review of RTW among cancer patients did not find enough RCTs, so the colleagues decided to also include other study designs.…”

“…These interventions should target workers with CDs in general and more specifically workers with the following diseases: diabetes, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), metabolic vascular syndrome (MVS), respiratory diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, mental disorders, and neurological disorders. Cancer was investigated by the French National Cancer Institute (INCa) and is published elsewhere [11].…”

Supporting employers to enhance the return to work of cancer survivors: development of a web-based intervention (MiLES intervention)

“…Multiple interventions have endeavored to tackle these barriers and thus facilitate the labor participation of cancer survivors [2,[6][7][8]. However, these interventions are primarily focused on the cancer survivor him-or herself, and although that appears to be an obvious choice, the effects of these interventions on the work participation of cancer survivors have unfortunately not been unambiguous [2,6,9].…”

Employment and Chronic Diseases: Suggested Actions for The Implementation of Inclusive Policies for The Participation of People with Chronic Diseases in the Labour Market

“…Scientific evidence was studied by conducting systematic literature studies on best practices for assessing and promoting employees' wellbeing and health, preventing the development of chronic diseases, and fostering the work participation of employees with one or more chronic diseases [16][17][18][19]. Experiential data was collected through 45 interviews altogether, conducted with managers and employees from various industry sectors, as well as with occupational wellbeing and health professionals from six European countries.…”