title: Return to work after stroke: Important aspects shared and contrasted by five stakeholder groups.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Poor co-operation between the various stakeholders underscores the need for reviewing important factors that facilitate return to work (RTW) after stroke.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore and describe important aspects expressed by Swedish stakeholders in the RTW process for persons post stroke and to contrast the stakeholders' aspects exploring different perspectives that may influence optimal RTW.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from seven focus group interviews with the stakeholders were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three main categories made up the findings; the prolonged RTW process, the need for extended knowledge, and the assessment of work ability in the RTW process. Despite the stakeholders' agreement on these important aspects, they presented divergent views of the categories, representing their diverse agendas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A stroke coordinator may remediate the stakeholders' divergent perspectives. The coordinator should be versed in stroke specific knowledge and in a person centered approach to inform the decision process regarding RTW, while finding optimal solutions within regulatory boundary conditions. A coordinator could increase collaboration of the various stakeholders, provide support and coordinate services for the client with stroke and the employer throughout the whole process facilitating RTW after stroke. Future studies are needed to confirm this proposal.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Intervention and Implementation Research for Worker Health, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.
authors.forename: Therese
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hellman
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.|Division of Occupational Therapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.
authors.forename: Aileen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bergström
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.|Division of Occupational Therapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.
authors.forename: Gunilla
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Occupational Therapy, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hansen Falkdal
authors.affiliation: Division of Occupational Therapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.|Department of Research and Development, Region of Gävleborg, Gävle, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ulla
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Johansson
mesh_terms: D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D010465:Perception; D036301:Qualitative Research; D062707:Return to Work / Q000523:psychology*; D020521:Stroke; D013548:Sweden
keywords: Work; occupation; vocational rehabilitation