@Article{info:doi/10.2196/31966,
author="Lo, Jonathon
and Ballurkar, Kieran
and Fox, Simonie
and Tynan, Kate
and Luu, Nghiep
and Boyer, Michael
and Murali-Ganesh, Raghav",
title="A Digital Coaching Intervention for Cancer Survivors With Job Loss: Retrospective Study",
journal="JMIR Cancer",
year="2021",
month="Nov",
day="23",
volume="7",
number="4",
pages="e31966",
keywords="cancer survivors; employment; absenteeism; mobile app; software; return to work",
abstract="Background: Returning to work is a key unmet need for working-age cancer survivors. Objective: This study sought to evaluate return-to-work outcomes of a multidisciplinary intervention provided as routine employee support. Methods: In a retrospective cohort analysis, patients with cancer and more than 3 months of absence from work were provided with an intervention consisting of digital resources and calls with a health coach. Propensity score matching was used to define a similar cohort of cancer patients absent from work, who were not offered the coaching intervention. The return-to-work rate as a percentage of all participants and secondary outcomes, such as the rate of death, were measured. The median time to return to work was compared between the cohorts using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: A total of 220 participants were enrolled in the intervention, of which 125 met the criteria for analysis. The median follow-up from cancer diagnosis was 79 weeks (IQR 60-106 weeks). In the matched control group, 22 (17.6{\%}) participants returned to work compared with 38 (30.4{\%}) in the intervention group (P=.02). Additionally, 19 (15.2{\%}) matched controls died prior to claim closure compared with 13 (10.4{\%}) in the intervention group (P=.26). The Kaplan-Meier estimated median time for the first 15{\%} of the cohort to return to work was 87.1 weeks (95{\%} CI 60.0-109.1 weeks) for the matched control group compared with 70.6 weeks (95{\%} CI 52.6-79.6 weeks; P=.08) for the intervention group. Conclusions: Patients receiving a remotely delivered coaching program in a real-world setting returned to work at a higher frequency than did control participants receiving usual care. ",
issn="2369-1999",
doi="10.2196/31966",
url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2021/4/e31966",
url="https://doi.org/10.2196/31966",
url="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34710853"
}