Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017 Sep;26(5):e12420.
doi: 10.1111/ecc.12420. Epub 2015 Nov 25.

Barriers and facilitators for return to work in cancer survivors with job loss experience: a focus group study

M P van Egmond  1   2 , S F A Duijts  1   3 , A Loyen  4 , S J Vermeulen  1 , A J van der Beek  1   2 , J R Anema  1   2
Affiliations

Barriers and facilitators for return to work in cancer survivors with job loss experience: a focus group study

M P van Egmond et al. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2017 Sep.

Abstract

Over 50% of cancer survivors lose their job or quit working. Cancer survivors who experience job loss may face different challenges regarding return to work, compared to cancer survivors with employers. This qualitative study aimed to explore barriers and facilitators for return to work in cancer survivors with job loss and in insurance physicians who assist cancer survivors in their return to work. We conducted five focus groups and one interview (cancer survivors, N = 17; insurance physicians, N = 23). Topics included, among others, experience of job loss and barriers and facilitators for return to work. Data were audio recorded and analysed using thematic analysis. Our main finding was that cancer survivors experienced a double loss: loss of job on top of loss of health. As a result, cancer survivors feared for job applications, lacked opportunities to gradually increase work ability, and faced reluctance from employers in hiring them. Insurance physicians expressed a need for more frequent and longer consultations with cancer survivors with job loss. We conclude that cancer survivors who experience double loss encounter specific barriers in the return to work process. This calls for a tailored approach regarding return to work support.

Keywords: barriers; cancer survivors; facilitators; precarious employment; qualitative; return to work.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Benach J. & Muntaner C. (2007) Precarious employment and health: developing a research agenda. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 61, 276–277. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Benach J., Benavides F.G., Platt S., Diez‐Roux A. & Muntaner C. (2000) The health‐damaging potential of new types of flexible employment: a challenge for public health researchers. American Journal of Public Health 90, 1316–1317. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Benach J., Gimeno D., Benavides F.G., Martinez J.M. & Torne M.d.M. (2004) Types of employment and health in the European union: changes from 1995 to 2000. European Journal of Public Health 14, 314–321. - PubMed
    1. Benavides F.G., Benach J., Diez‐Roux A.V. & Roman C. (2000) How do types of employment relate to health indicators? Findings from the second European survey on working conditions. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 54, 494–501. - PMC - PubMed
    1. de Boer A.G.E.M., Taskila T., Ojajarvi A., van Dijk F.J.H. & Verbeek J.H.A.M. (2009) Cancer survivors and unemployment: a meta‐analysis and meta‐regression. JAMA 301, 753–762. - PubMed