title: Comparison of the Time Course of Return to Work After Stroke Between Two Cohort Studies in Japan.
abstract: The conditions for stroke rehabilitation such as individual therapeutic procedure and medical treatment system in Japan have drastically changed over the past decade: increasing incidence of ischemic stroke, the use of intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, hospital specialization, introduction of convalescent rehabilitation wards, and public long-term care insurance. However, it is not known whether these changes have influenced the time course of return to work (RTW) after stroke. In this study we compared the time course of RTW after stroke in Japan that was reported in two cohort studies performed 20 years apart. The cumulative rate of RTW after first stroke was similar in the two studies, even though they were separated by an interval of two decades. This shows that advances in stroke rehabilitation have not impacted RTW, and we suggest that the social security system, particularly sickness benefit, has a strong influence on RTW.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saeki
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsushima
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Junichiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shiraishi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D062707:Return to Work; D020521:Stroke; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult