Return to Work of Cancer Survivors: Predicting Healthcare Professionals’ Assumed Role Responsibility

Abstract

Purpose Returning to work is highly beneficial for many cancer survivors. While research has documented the significance of healthcare professionals in the process of return to work (RTW), very little is known about those professionals' views regarding their responsibility for RTW. The purpose of the present study was to identify factors that predict the extent to which healthcare professionals view involvement in the RTW of cancer survivors as part of their role. Methods In a cross-sectional design, questionnaires measuring attitudes regarding personal role responsibility for RTW, team role responsibility for RTW and benefits of RTW were administered to 157 healthcare professionals who care for working-age cancer survivors: oncologists, occupational physicians, family physicians, oncology nurses, oncology social workers, and psychologists. Results Both belief in the benefits of RTW, and the view that RTW is the team responsibility of healthcare professionals working with cancer survivors, are positively related to viewing RTW as part of the responsibilities of one's personal professional role. Moderation analysis indicated that perception of team responsibility for RTW moderates the effect of the perceived benefits of RTW, such that the perception of benefits is significantly associated with personal role responsibility only when there is a low level of perceived team responsibility. Conclusions Issues related to RTW should be routinely included in basic and advanced training of healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of working-age cancer survivors, to increase awareness of this aspect of cancer survivors' well-being and position RTW as part of healthcare professionals' role responsibilities.

The role of general practitioners in the work guidance of cancer patients: views of general practitioners and occupational physicians

“…Similar to our study, health professionals in the study of Yagil et al in Israel were confident in the benefits of continuing work and RTW in cancer patients [ 16 ]. In addition, health care professionals, including family practitioners, in their study view RTW as part of their responsibility as a caregiver.…”

An integrative review: Women’s psychosocial vulnerability in relation to paid work after a breast cancer diagnosis

“…Collectively, the findings point to the necessity for a mobilization of transdisciplinary efforts to elicit survivor concerns and position interventions. Yagil et al (2019) suggest that health professionals’ (i.e., occupational physicians, family physicians, oncologists, nurses, social workers, psychologists) views relating to: (a) patients’ work concerns as part of their defined job role; (b) the benefit of work to their patients’ well‐being; and (c) the ascribed value of their profession's contribution to the efforts of the team will likely affect their engagement in work‐related survivorship concerns. It is noteworthy that nurses displayed the highest level of perceived team responsibility for RTW (Yagil et al, 2019).…”

“…A working woman's psychosocial health and RTW/employment sustainability after diagnosis depends on a complex interplay of individual, disease/treatment, and work environment factors (Spelten et al., 2002). While care models in disciplines such as occupational and rehabilitative health, social work, and vocational counselling traditionally support RTW as a therapeutic goal (Yagil et al, 2019) there is a need for a unifying model to promote interdisciplinary healthcare interventions. Additionally, there is a need for a model that considers national/organizational contexts (e.g., legal, political, and economic factors; policies; and procedures) that mediate between healthcare and employment systems (Homer & Hirsch, 2006) to fully address RTW barriers.…”

Development and evaluation of a training program for occupational health nurses regarding support for workers with cancer and their workplaces

“…OHNs are the frontline staff among occupational health professionals and if OHNs can be the good healthcare providers to the workers with cancer, the resignation rate can decrease. One of the important challenges toward the future should be to strengthen the collaboration among multi‐institutions and multiprofessionals including occupational health nursing professionals. Recently, Stone et al reported that interaction processes between cancer survivors and occupational and environmental health professionals comprised revealing the survivor‐self, sustaining workability, gatekeeping (employment opportunities and RTW), and accessing support.…”