http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/6/4/e009974.full?utm_content=bufferea872&
Abstract
Objective To explore barriers and facilitators to staying in work following stroke.
Design
Qualitative analysis of posts regarding staying in work following
stroke using the archives of an online forum for stroke survivors.
Participants
60 stroke survivors (29 male, 23 female, 8 not stated; mean age at
stroke 44 years) who have returned to work, identified using terms
‘return to work’ and ‘back at work’.
Setting Posts from UK stroke survivors and family members on Talkstroke, the forum of the Stroke Association, between 2004 and 2011.
Results
Stroke and transient ischaemic attack (TIA) survivors reported residual
impairments that for many had impact on work. Most impairments were
‘invisible’, including fatigue, problems with concentration, memory and
personality changes. Participants described positive (eg, back at work
being better than expected) and negative work experiences, including
being at risk of losing the job because of stroke-related impairments.
Barriers to successfully staying in work included lack of understanding
of stroke—in particular invisible impairments—of survivors, employers
and general practitioners (GPs), and lack of support in terms of formal
adjustments, and ‘feeling supported’. Stroke survivors described how
they developed their own coping strategies, and how workplace and
employer helped them to stay in work.
Conclusions
Despite having been able to return to work after a stroke, people may
still experience difficulties in staying in work and risking losing
their job. There is a need to improve awareness, in particular of
invisible stroke-related impairments, among stroke survivors, work
personnel and clinicians. This might be achieved through improved
assessments of residual impairments in the workplace and in general
practice. Future studies should investigate the effect of unrecognised
fatigue and invisible impairments on staying in work following stroke,
and explore the potential role for primary care in supporting stroke
survivors who have returned to employment.
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