Return to work after myocardial infarction/coronary artery bypass grafting: patients’ and physicians’ initial viewpoints and outcome 12 months later

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) Vol. 52; no. 9; pp. 1441 - 1450
• Main Authors: Mittag, O, Kolenda, K.-D, Nordmann, K.-J, Bernien, J, Maurischat, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-05-2001; Elsevier; Pergamon Press Inc
• Series: Social Science & Medicine
• Subjects: Attitude of Health Personnel; Biological and medical sciences; Blood vessels; CABG; Cardiac rehabilitation; Cardiology. Vascular system; Coronary Artery Bypass - rehabilitation; Coronary heart disease; Disability; Disability Evaluation; Doctors; Employment; Federal Republic of Germany; Germany; Health Status; Heart; Heart attacks; Heart disease; Heart Diseases; Humans; Job satisfaction; Labor Force Participation; Logistic Models; Male; Males; Medical Decision Making; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Myocardial infarction; Myocardial Infarction - rehabilitation; Patients; Physically Handicapped; Physicians; Rehabilitation; Return to work; Return to work Myocardial infarction CABG Cardiac rehabilitation; Skin & tissue grafts; Surgery; Surveys and Questionnaires; Treatment Outcome; Myocardial infarction; CABG; Cardiac rehabilitation; Return to work; Human; Social perception; Prognosis; Infarct; Health staff; Physician; Cardiovascular disease; Patient; Coronary heart disease; Myocardial disease; Work disability; Back to work; Aortocoronary; Bypass; Surgery; Myocardium; Rehabilitation; Predictive factor; Public health
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/S0277-9536(00)00250-1

Nonmedical factors play an important role in determining whether patients resume their work after myocardial infarction or CABG. The main questions dealt with in this study are: What is the respective basis of physicians’ and patients’ judgements as far as vocational disabilities are concerned, and what are the decisive factors that facilitate a prediction as to who will return to work and who will not? 132 male patients participating in a cardiac rehabilitation program served as subjects. The age group was limited to patients between 40 and 59
yr of age. The work situation 12 months following rehabilitation is known for 119 subjects; 74 had resumed their occupations. Results of regression analyses show that patients’ and physicians’ views on disabilities and re-employment are based on different factors. The physicians derive their estimates mainly from medical variables (cardiac status and comorbidity), whereas the patients’ views are based on the overall health status, their former job status, job satisfaction, and negative incentives for the return to work. Three variables were found that allow a prediction to be made as to re-employment in 85% of all cases: (1) age, (2) patients’ feelings about the extent to which they are disabled by their cardiac problem, and (3) the physicians’ views on the extent to which the patient is vocationally disabled by his overall medical situation. Medical variables (e.g. cardiac status) had little relevance to re-employment. The results are discussed with regard to the consequences for cardiac rehabilitation.