Work-related medical rehabilitation in patients with cancer—Postrehabilitation results from a cluster-randomized multicenter trial

David Fauser; Julian Wienert; Thomas Beinert; Jan Schmielau; Irene Biester; Hans Ulrich Krüger; Angelika Presl; Matthias Bethge

doi:10.1002/cncr.32131

Work-related medical rehabilitation in patients with cancer—Postrehabilitation results from a cluster-randomized multicenter trial

David Fauser^*, Julian Wienert, Thomas Beinert, Jan Schmielau, Irene Biester, Hans Ulrich Krüger, Angelika Presl, Matthias Bethge

^*Corresponding author for this work

Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Effective multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs supporting the return to work have become increasingly relevant for cancer survivors. In Germany, inpatient work-related medical rehabilitation programs consider treatment modules of work-related diagnostics, work-related functional capacity training, psychosocial groups, and intensified social counseling. The authors tested the effectiveness of a work-related medical rehabilitation program compared with conventional medical rehabilitation using a cluster-randomized multicenter trial (German Clinical Trial Register: DRKS00007770).

METHODS: In total, 484 patients with cancer were recruited at 4 rehabilitation centers. Patients at a center who started their rehabilitation in the same week represented a cluster. These clusters were randomly assigned using computer-generated randomization schedules either to an intervention group (IG) or to a control group (CG). The primary outcome was role functioning. Secondary outcomes were other quality-of-life domains and the return to work.

RESULTS: In total, 425 patients (210 in the IG) were included in the analysis at the 3-month follow-up. There was no significant difference between the IG and CG in role functioning (b = 3.55; 95% CI, -1.18 to 8.29; P = .142). Participants in the IG reported better physical functioning (b = 5.99; 95% CI, 3.33-8.65; P < .001), less physical fatigue (b = -5.09; 95% CI, -9.62 to -0.56; P = .028), and less pain (b = -6.24; 95% CI, -11.24 to -1.23; P = .015).

CONCLUSIONS: Work-related medical rehabilitation had no effect on the primary outcome compared with conventional medical rehabilitation but may enhance physical functioning and reduce physical fatigue and pain.

Original language	English
Journal	Cancer
Volume	125
Issue number	15
Pages (from-to)	2666-2674
Number of pages	9
ISSN	0008-543X
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.32131
Publication status	Published - 01.08.2019

Funding

We thank the German Federal Pension Insurance for funding. Furthermore, we thank the 4 study centers (Klinik Bavaria in Freyung, Paracelsus-Klinik am See in Bad Gandersheim, MediClin Rose Klinik in Horn-Bad Meinberg, and AMEOS Reha Klinikum in Ratzeburg) for their support and encouragement during the whole study. The current study was supported by the German Federal Pension Insurance (grant 8011-106-31/31.104.3). The German Federal Pension Insurance is the main provider of medical rehabilitation in Germany and is part of the compulsory pension insurance scheme. The funders had no role in the design or conduct of the study; the collection, management, analysis, or interpretation of the data; the preparation, review, or approval of the article; or the decision to submit the article for publication.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

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10.1002/cncr.32131

Cite this

@article{9d90faf6048b44109aa621405abe4734,

title = "Work-related medical rehabilitation in patients with cancer—Postrehabilitation results from a cluster-randomized multicenter trial",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: Effective multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs supporting the return to work have become increasingly relevant for cancer survivors. In Germany, inpatient work-related medical rehabilitation programs consider treatment modules of work-related diagnostics, work-related functional capacity training, psychosocial groups, and intensified social counseling. The authors tested the effectiveness of a work-related medical rehabilitation program compared with conventional medical rehabilitation using a cluster-randomized multicenter trial (German Clinical Trial Register: DRKS00007770).METHODS: In total, 484 patients with cancer were recruited at 4 rehabilitation centers. Patients at a center who started their rehabilitation in the same week represented a cluster. These clusters were randomly assigned using computer-generated randomization schedules either to an intervention group (IG) or to a control group (CG). The primary outcome was role functioning. Secondary outcomes were other quality-of-life domains and the return to work.RESULTS: In total, 425 patients (210 in the IG) were included in the analysis at the 3-month follow-up. There was no significant difference between the IG and CG in role functioning (b = 3.55; 95\% CI, -1.18 to 8.29; P = .142). Participants in the IG reported better physical functioning (b = 5.99; 95\% CI, 3.33-8.65; P < .001), less physical fatigue (b = -5.09; 95\% CI, -9.62 to -0.56; P = .028), and less pain (b = -6.24; 95\% CI, -11.24 to -1.23; P = .015).CONCLUSIONS: Work-related medical rehabilitation had no effect on the primary outcome compared with conventional medical rehabilitation but may enhance physical functioning and reduce physical fatigue and pain.",

author = "David Fauser and Julian Wienert and Thomas Beinert and Jan Schmielau and Irene Biester and Kr{\"u}ger, \{Hans Ulrich\} and Angelika Presl and Matthias Bethge",

note = "{\textcopyright} 2019 American Cancer Society.",

year = "2019",

month = aug,

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doi = "10.1002/cncr.32131",

language = "English",

volume = "125",

pages = "2666--2674",

journal = "Cancer",

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number = "15",

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T1 - Work-related medical rehabilitation in patients with cancer—Postrehabilitation results from a cluster-randomized multicenter trial

AU - Fauser, David

AU - Wienert, Julian

AU - Beinert, Thomas

AU - Schmielau, Jan

AU - Biester, Irene

AU - Krüger, Hans Ulrich

AU - Presl, Angelika

AU - Bethge, Matthias

PY - 2019/8/1

Y1 - 2019/8/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: Effective multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs supporting the return to work have become increasingly relevant for cancer survivors. In Germany, inpatient work-related medical rehabilitation programs consider treatment modules of work-related diagnostics, work-related functional capacity training, psychosocial groups, and intensified social counseling. The authors tested the effectiveness of a work-related medical rehabilitation program compared with conventional medical rehabilitation using a cluster-randomized multicenter trial (German Clinical Trial Register: DRKS00007770).METHODS: In total, 484 patients with cancer were recruited at 4 rehabilitation centers. Patients at a center who started their rehabilitation in the same week represented a cluster. These clusters were randomly assigned using computer-generated randomization schedules either to an intervention group (IG) or to a control group (CG). The primary outcome was role functioning. Secondary outcomes were other quality-of-life domains and the return to work.RESULTS: In total, 425 patients (210 in the IG) were included in the analysis at the 3-month follow-up. There was no significant difference between the IG and CG in role functioning (b = 3.55; 95% CI, -1.18 to 8.29; P = .142). Participants in the IG reported better physical functioning (b = 5.99; 95% CI, 3.33-8.65; P < .001), less physical fatigue (b = -5.09; 95% CI, -9.62 to -0.56; P = .028), and less pain (b = -6.24; 95% CI, -11.24 to -1.23; P = .015).CONCLUSIONS: Work-related medical rehabilitation had no effect on the primary outcome compared with conventional medical rehabilitation but may enhance physical functioning and reduce physical fatigue and pain.

AB - BACKGROUND: Effective multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs supporting the return to work have become increasingly relevant for cancer survivors. In Germany, inpatient work-related medical rehabilitation programs consider treatment modules of work-related diagnostics, work-related functional capacity training, psychosocial groups, and intensified social counseling. The authors tested the effectiveness of a work-related medical rehabilitation program compared with conventional medical rehabilitation using a cluster-randomized multicenter trial (German Clinical Trial Register: DRKS00007770).METHODS: In total, 484 patients with cancer were recruited at 4 rehabilitation centers. Patients at a center who started their rehabilitation in the same week represented a cluster. These clusters were randomly assigned using computer-generated randomization schedules either to an intervention group (IG) or to a control group (CG). The primary outcome was role functioning. Secondary outcomes were other quality-of-life domains and the return to work.RESULTS: In total, 425 patients (210 in the IG) were included in the analysis at the 3-month follow-up. There was no significant difference between the IG and CG in role functioning (b = 3.55; 95% CI, -1.18 to 8.29; P = .142). Participants in the IG reported better physical functioning (b = 5.99; 95% CI, 3.33-8.65; P < .001), less physical fatigue (b = -5.09; 95% CI, -9.62 to -0.56; P = .028), and less pain (b = -6.24; 95% CI, -11.24 to -1.23; P = .015).CONCLUSIONS: Work-related medical rehabilitation had no effect on the primary outcome compared with conventional medical rehabilitation but may enhance physical functioning and reduce physical fatigue and pain.

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U2 - 10.1002/cncr.32131

DO - 10.1002/cncr.32131

M3 - Journal articles

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AN - SCOPUS:85068957721

SN - 0008-543X

VL - 125

SP - 2666

EP - 2674

JO - Cancer

JF - Cancer

IS - 15

ER -

Work-related medical rehabilitation in patients with cancer—Postrehabilitation results from a cluster-randomized multicenter trial

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Work-related medical rehabilitation in patients with cancer—Postrehabilitation results from a cluster-randomized multicenter trial

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

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Other files and links

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MBOR-O - Effectiveness of work-related medical rehabilitation in cancer: a cluster-randomized multicenter study

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