Article

PURPOSE: To enhance the employment outcomes of individuals who experience a
stroke, it is essential to understand the factors that determine successful
return to work. The aim of this systematic review was to examine barriers to and
facilitators of return to work after stroke from the perspective of people with
stroke through the process of a qualitative meta-synthesis. METHODS: A systematic
literature search was conducted. Studies that employed qualitative methods to
explore the experiences of individuals with stroke around return to work after
stroke were included. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed by
two independent reviewers. Overarching themes, concepts and interpretations were
extracted from each individual study, compared and meta-synthesized. RESULTS:
Fifteen studies were included and the overall methodological quality of the
studies was good. Four broad themes emerged as factors associated with return to
work after stroke. These included (i) the nature of the effects of stroke, (ii)
the preparatory environment, (iii) personal coping strategies and internal
challenges and (iv) the meaning of work. CONCLUSION: Return to work after stroke
is a complex process which can be facilitated or impeded by organizational,
social or personal factors, as well as accessibility to appropriate services.
Implications for Rehabilitation Following a period of dedicated inpatient
rehabilitation, there is a need to integrate community-support services to
optimize return to work among stroke survivors. A dedicated community stroke
support liaison officer may help to facilitate the transition between the
hospital and the community and workplace environment. Education provided by
healthcare professionals is necessary in the community and the workplace to
ensure that family, friends and employers are aware of the impairments, activity
limitations and participation restrictions of the stroke survivor.

Langue : ANGLAIS