Characteristics of the work-directed part of the interventions
| Author(s) | Start/end intervention, duration setting | Inpatient/outpatient, setting | Description of the interventions | Discipline of trainers or counsellors |
| Capone et al28 | One session prior to initial treatment, last session prior to discharge | Inpatient, gynaecological | Efforts were made to encourage early return to usual social functions. | Psychologist |
| Maguire et al38 | Within a few days after surgery, follow-up every 2 months unless patient adapted well | Inpatient, surgical unit/outpatient, at home | Monitor their progress concerning among others return to work. Patients were encouraged to return to work. | Specialist nurse |
| Clark and Landis5 | At the time of diagnosis | Outpatient | a. Prevention-anticipatory guidance: potential problems are identified, strategies are selected to clarify misconceptions and debunk myths related to cancer, evaluate organisational policies and practices that may discriminate against patients with cancer and modify negative attitudes towards patients with cancer in the workplace. Attention should be paid to the other members of the organisation. | Management team, occupational health team, and co-workers |
| b. Restoration-rehabilitation counselling: assessment of cancer treatment and job requirements, satisfaction with work and work situation, desire to work during or after treatment. Develop a strategy for information sharing about the cancer experience with co-workers. A comprehensive work-re-entry plan is made (ie, temporary work reassignment, rescheduling, retraining for another job, exploration for career options, flexible work schedules, job sharing). | Occupational health nurse, management personnel of the company and healthcare providers of the community | |||
| c. Support health maintenance and counselling: counselling regarding safety measures, regular follow-up in the early phase of re-entry process. Informing about insurance benefits, disability and rehabilitation benefits of employment. | Occupational health nurse | |||
| Mellette39 | At the time of diagnosis | Inpatient, hospital/outpatient in the clinic or at home | To facilitate patients' return to work, the speech pathologist or rehabilitation counsellor calls or visits their employer. | Rehabilitation counsellor or speech pathologist |
| Leitsmann et al37 | Particularly in the first 2 years after diagnosis, after primary treatment | Outpatient, hospital | a. Work was among others a topic of the group sessions. Advice about work was linked to the group sessions. Semi-structured interviews preceding the group sessions were organised in order to facilitate the decision process about reintegration into working life. | Mainly carried out by a psychologist |
| b. Work which corresponds with the needs of rehabilitation (eg, reduction working hours) and change of job can be arranged in collaboration with social worker, general practitioner, company and specialist. | Social worker, general practitioner, company, and specialist | |||
| Zampini and Ostroff46 | After completion treatment | Outpatient, office building | a. Education — seminars and workshops: for example employability and legal rights, career development, job search skills | Invited speaker, staff member with expertise in insurance and employment, consultants from the psychiatry services, social worker, and volunteer |
| b. Counselling support: for example career decisions. | ||||
| Berglund et al25 | Within 2 months after postoperative treatment with radio- and/or chemotherapy, during 7 weeks | Outpatient, hospital or centre separate from the hospital | Coping: by role playing of common situations when returning to work whereas the following situations were included: how to handle problem situations; people asking too much or too little or having peculiar attitudes towards cancer. | Psychologist, oncology nurse |
| Rinehart42 | After surgery | Inpatient, hospital/outpatient, at home, by phone, physician's office | To provide tips about handling issues such as related to their job. | Trained volunteer (peer model) who is matched to the patient by age, and type of surgery |
| Sherer et al43 | On average 75.4 ± 87.9 months since diagnosis, during on average 2.6±1.9 months | Inpatient rehabilitation clinic | a. Initial evaluation of functioning (eg, work site observation). | Psychologist, speech/language pathologist, occupational therapist, and vocational specialist |
| Outpatient community-based setting | b. Volunteer job placement, performing duties similar to the patient's desired eventual vocational goal. Additional interventions if necessary. | |||
| c. Patients were assisted with returning to their desired independence or productive activities (ie, writing a resume, organising a job search, facilitate patient's use of compensatory strategy, periodic follow-up to maintain therapeutic gains). | ||||
| d. Therapists visit the job site to facilitate the patient's use of compensatory strategies and to recommend any alternations of the site or job duties needed to ensure the patient's optimal performance. | ||||
| Fismen et al31 | After end of medical treatment, during 4 months | Outpatient, rehabilitation centre and at home | Relationship with colleagues was among others a topic of the cognitive group discussions. | Nurse, oncologist |
| Van Weert et al44 | Median time since end of treatment 7.1 months, during 6 weeks | Outpatient, rehabilitation centre | Information: reduce uncertainty due to lack of knowledge of the disease by providing information with respect to cancer-related subjects such as work. | Several healthcare professionals |
| Van Weert et al45 | Median time since end of treatment 11.3±13.2 months, during 15 weeks | |||
| Cimprich et al30 | Following completion treatment, during 7 weeks | Outpatient | Group sessions dealing with psychological well being and transitioning successfully work: sharing the challenges of return to work and discussions on strategies and resources to facilitate a smooth return to work. Participants select specific goals and identify needed skills based on their own concerns. | Oncology nurse practitioner and health educator |
| Heim and Schwerte33 | NR | Inpatient/outpatient | Vocational rehabilitation: gradual return to work with limited working hours, group sessions with theme work, workplace training on vocational aid (ie, technical work aid, training course, reintegration aid). | Several healthcare professionals |
| Korstjens et al35 | Time since end of treatment 1.3±2.0 years, during 3 months | Outpatient, rehabilitation centre | Psycho-education: providing support in coping with cancer and enhancing self-confidence and autonomy. Discussion on subjects such as returning to work. | Oncology nurse, psychologist, social worker and dietary advisor |
| Nieuwenhuijsen et al41 | Range 3–202 (median 45) days after the initial radiation therapy | Outpatient, hospital | a. The researcher sends two letters from the radiologist to the occupational physician with information about diagnosis, treatment plan and outcome of the treatment. | Researchers |
| b. The educational leaflet with practical guidelines (10 steps of advice — eg, make return-to-work plan) was given to the patients to enhance return to work and was sent to the occupational physician. | Radiotherapy oncologist | |||
| Meneses et al40 | Within 1 year of diagnosis, at least 1 month after surgery, during 6 months | Outpatient | Face-to-face education and support session with topics such as work. | Oncology nurse |
| Høybye et al34 | Completed primary treatment, during 6 days | Outpatient, mediaeval castle | Lectures and patient group work on themes such as working life. | Several healthcare professionals |
| Korstjens et al36 | Time since end of treatment 1.3±1.7 years, during 12 weeks | Outpatient, rehabilitation centre or hospital | Cognitive-behavioural training: interactive psycho-education and self-management skills training. Patients learn to apply self-management skills in striving for personal goals such as work. | Psychologist, nurse, physiotherapist, and social worker |
| Chan et al29 | NR | State vocational rehabilitation services | Assessment, diagnosis and treatment of impairments, vocational rehabilitation counselling and guidance, college or university training, occupational/vocational training, on-the-job training, basic academic remedial or literacy training, job readiness training, disability-related augmentative skills training, miscellaneous training, job search assistance, job placement assistance, on-the-job supports, transportation services, maintenance services, rehabilitation technology, reader services, interpreter services, personal attendant services, technical assistance services, information and referral services and other services. | Rehabilitation counsellor |