OP10
UNDERSTANDING VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND BEHAVIOURAL COMPONENTS TO HELP PEOPLE WORK AFTER CANCER: IMPLICATIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH HEAD AND NECK CANCER AND HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS — A SCOPING REVIEW
A.Miller1, B. De Dios Perez2, R. Govender3, K. Radford2
1Centre for Rehabilitation and Ageing Research, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham; Adult Speech and Language Therapy, Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
2Centre for Rehabilitation and Ageing Research, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham; Nottingham NIHR Biomedical Research Centre;
3Head and Neck Academic Centre, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London
Background:
Work participation is a key outcome of cancer survivorship. Vocational rehabilitation interventions help improve work outcomes, yet is rarely integrated into routine cancer care.
Aim:
To understand vocational rehabilitation for adults with cancer, identify content, behavioural components and intervention delivery.
Methods:
Database and hand-searches identified studies evaluating work outcomes for people with cancer following a vocational rehabilitation intervention. Following screening, extracted data was mapped to behavioural and vocational rehabilitation frameworks.
Results:
17,390 records were identified. Twelve studies with 2,139 participants (predominantly breast cancer) were included. Interventions were delivered by healthcare professionals (n = 8), employers (n = 2), and vocational agencies (n = 3). Common components included vocational counselling/education, case management, vocational assessment, and return to work planning. Across interventions, the predominant behaviour change functions were education (n = 12), training (n = 12), enablement (n = 12), environmental restructuring (n = 10), and modelling (n = 8). Five interventions did not report an underpinning theoretical framework.
Conclusions:
There is a dearth of studies despite huge increases in the working-age population of people with cancer. Demographics were not well reported, limiting understanding and equity. Vocational rehabilitation and behavioural components will inform the future development of a theory-based head and neck cancer specific intervention targeting healthcare professional behaviour.
Protocol registration
https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/5BXQ4
