Vocational Rehabilitation for the Return to Work of Breast Cancer Patients: a Feasibility Study

Not Applicable

Active, not recruiting

• Conditions: Breast Cancer; Breast Neoplasm
• Interventions: Other: Multidisciplinary vocational rehabilitation intervention

• Registration Number: NCT05309265
• Lead Sponsor: Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale Reggio Emilia

Brief Summary

In Italy, 50% of new breast cancer (BC) diagnosis occur in female of working age. Although return to work (RTW) is strongly desired by BC patients, cancer survivors are more likely to be unemployed than healthy individuals. Moreover, work difficulties may hindrance this process. Since 2018, the investigators have planned a local social-healthcare pathway which provides a multidisciplinary vocational rehabilitation intervention with the aim to help cancer survivors in their RTW process. To date, the feasibility of the multidisciplinary vocational rehabilitation interventions has not been verified for BC patients.

Detailed Description

BC is a public health burden with increasing trends in Western countries. In Italy, 50% of the new BC diagnosis have occurred in female of working age. Even though the return to work (RTW) is strongly desired, cancer survivors are 1.4 times more likely to be unemployed than healthy individuals. Furthermore, work difficulties may occur during this process. To promote the RTW, multidisciplinary interventions have shown moderate quality evidence in cancer survivors.

Since 2018, the investigators have planned a local social-healthcare pathway which provides a multidisciplinary vocational rehabilitation intervention with the aim to help cancer survivors in their RTW process. During the implementation of the pathway, BC patients were referred mainly by the physiotherapists of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit (PMRU). As standard care, BC patients can participate to an educational group session held by the physiotherapists after surgery. During this session, work difficulties have emerged.

Thus, the investigators aim to verify the feasibility of the multidisciplinary vocational rehabilitation intervention for a sample of BC patients whit work difficulties who will participate to an educational group session held by the physiotherapists.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2022-03-25
• Study First Submitted QC: 2022-03-25
• Study First Posted: 2022-04-04
• Study Start: 2022-05-09
• Status Verified: 2024-07
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-07-12
• Last Update Posted: 2024-07-15
• Primary Completion: 2025-05
• Study Completion: 2025-05

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
• Sex: Female
• Target Recruitment: 16

Inclusion Criteria

• breast cancer diagnosis (regardless of stage and treatment)
• breast cancer patients in working age
• breast cancer patient who will participate to an educational group session held by the physiotherapists of the PMRU
• breast cancer patients with work difficulties

Exclusion Criteria

• Breast cancer patients with work issues that cannot be addressed by any of the interventions (e.g., patients who would like to change their job)

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Breast cancer patients with work difficulties	Multidisciplinary vocational rehabilitation intervention	Breast cancer patients with work difficulties can receive any of the three types of support, or a combination of these: information, occupational therapy and social support, in order to overcome barriers and return to work/continue to work

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
acceptation	12 months	rate of patients (who has been proposed to participate to the feasibility study) who accept to participate
lost to follow-up	12 months	rate of patients who will not attend the scheduled meeting (drop-out rate set ≤ 20%)
RTW/work continuation	12 months	rate of patients who participate in the study and who will RTW or continued to work
interception	12 months	rate of patients who has been proposed to participate to the feasibility study
adherence	12 months	rate of patients who participate in the scheduled meeting and in the multidisciplinary intervention proposed; rate of patients who agree to receive the intervention at the workplace (for those eligible)
satisfaction rate	12 months	rate of patients who perceive the modules of the multidisciplinary intervention as supportive for their RTW or work continuation

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale Reggio Emilia; 🇮🇹 Reggio Emilia, Italy