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Updated: Jul 15, 2025
Author Spotlight: Rehabilitation of Stroke Patients With a Digital Occupational Training System
Published on: December 29, 2023
Stroke survivors' long-term participation in paid employment
Winke van Meijeren-Pont1,2, Judith M van Velzen3,4, Gerard Volker1
1Basalt Rehabilitation, Leiden/The Hague, The Netherlands.
Background:
Knowledge on long-term participation is scarce for patients with paid employment at the time of stroke.
Objective:
Describe the characteristics and the course of participation (paid employment and overall participation) in patients who did and did not remain in paid employment.
Methods:
Patients with paid employment at the time of stroke completed questions on work up to 30 months after starting rehabilitation, and the Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation (USER-P, Frequency, Restrictions and Satisfaction scales) up to 24 months. Baseline characteristics of patients with and without paid employment at 30 months were compared using Fisher's Exact Tests and Mann-Whitney U Tests. USER-P scores over time were analysed using Linear Mixed Models.
Results:
Of the 170 included patients (median age 54.2 interquartile range 11.2 years; 40% women) 50.6% reported paid employment at 30 months. Those returning to work reported at baseline more working hours, better quality of life and communication, were more often self-employed and in an office job. The USER-P scores did not change statistically significantly over time.
Conclusion:
About half of the stroke patients remained in paid employment. Optimizing interventions for returning to work and achieving meaningful participation outside of employment seem desirable.
