Survey on Return to Work After Stroke

• critical factors that facilitate or inhibit return to work after stroke [ Time Frame: after collection of data on all surveys ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  38 multiple choice items that assess psychological factors important to return to work, financial incentives and disincentives, the role of stroke impairments, interpersonal supports that facilitate and inhibit return, the role of therapeutic support especially vocational rehabilitation, organizational influences, and work specific issues that impact on return. Demographic information is also queried including work type and current work status. Data will be analyzed descriptively by these critical factors and also by other demographic factors such as age, work status, and race.
  
  

The objective of this project is to more accurately describe the stroke survivor's perspective on return to work. The survey development included qualitative analysis of a set of interviews with stroke survivors to arrive at the critical elements described above, followed by item development with an expert panel and preliminary testing of the wording and format for legibility. The survey is being administered both on-line and by paper through the mail to a wide range of survivors with the objective of obtaining a large, diverse sample. The ultimate goal of the project is to arrive at a refined set of recommendations to inform stroke survivors, health care professionals and employers to increase their sensitivity to the needs and desires of individual attempting to return to work after stroke.