Heart failure clients’ encounters with professionals and self-rated ability to return to work.

BackgroundPeople with heart failure are sick listed for long periods and disability pension is common. Healthcare professionals need knowledge about factors that can enhance their return to work processes.AimsThis study focus on people on sick leave due to heart failure and their encounters with healthcare professionals/social insurance officers. Specifically, it aimed to investigate associations between: (1) encounters and socio-demographic factors and, (2) encounters and self-rated ability to return to work.Material and methodsA cross-sectional study based on registry data and a postal questionnaire to people on sick leave due to heart failure (n = 590). Bivariate correlation analyses and logistic regression analyses were used.ResultsGender, income, and age were strongly associated with encounters with both social insurance officers and healthcare professionals. Self-rated ability to return to work was associated with the encounters ‘Made reasonable demands’, ‘Gave clear and adequate information/advice’ and ‘Did not keep our agreements’.Conclusion and significanceTo enhance clients’ abilities to return to work demands should be reasonable, information and advice need to be clear, and agreements should be kept. These results can be used by healthcare professionals as occupational therapists involved in vocational rehabilitation for people on sick leave due to heart failure. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]