Associations between socio-demographic factors, encounters with healthcare professionals and perceived ability to return to work in people sick-listed due to heart failure in Sweden: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate associations between socio-demographic factors, experiences of positive/negative encounters with healthcare professionals, and the encounters' impact on the ability to return to work in a population of people on sick leave due to heart failure. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. Data were collected from two official registries in Sweden and from a postal questionnaire. In all, 590 people with heart failure responded to the questionnaire. Associations between variables were calculated with bivariate correlation analyses and logistic regression analyses. Results: For people on sick leave due to heart failure, positive encounters with healthcare professionals are associated with being Swedish-born, female gender, and high income. People with high income are more likely to be supported back to work by positive encounters with healthcare professionals. To perceive that healthcare professionals believe in person's ability to return to work can be facilitating. Conclusions: Women, people who are not foreign-born, and people with high income are more likely to perceive encounters with healthcare professionals as positive. Healthcare professionals who work with rehabilitation for people with heart failure need to be aware of social inequalities and that being on sick leave is a process of change.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• A failing heart limits everyday life implying risk for long-term sick leave. Even though there are rehabilitation programs for people with heart failure, vocational rehabilitation is often over-looked. The knowledge about factors associated with sick leave due to heart failure is scarce.

• Experiences of positive encounters with healthcare professionals were associated with being Swedish-born, female gender, and high income. People with high income were more likely to be supported back to work by positive encounters with healthcare professionals.

• Healthcare professionals who work with rehabilitation for people with heart failure can support patients with heart failure by showing them confidence and trust. However, they need to be aware that sick leave implies a process of change.

• Adults
• heart diseases
• return to work
• sick leave

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Professor Kristina Alexanderson, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm for permission to use the postal questionnaire, and Mr. Simon Dyer, attain.se, for linguistic revision.

Declaration of interest

The study was funded by the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (25728/2010). The authors declare they have no competing interests.