Department of Tourism Management, Kempten University of Applied Sciences, Kempten, Germany.
DigiHealth Institute, Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences, Neu-Ulm, Germany.
Front Public Health. 2023 Nov 27;11:1282507. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1282507. eCollection 2023.
Most individuals recover from the acute phase of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, however, some encounter prolonged effects, referred to as the Post-COVID syndrome. Evidence exists that such persistent symptoms can significantly impact patients' ability to return to work. This paper gives a comprehensive overview of different care pathways and resources, both personal and external, that aim to support Post-COVID patients during their work-life reintegration process. By describing the current situation of Post-COVID patients pertaining their transition back to the workplace, this paper provides valuable insights into their needs.
A quantitative research design was applied using an online questionnaire as an instrument. Participants were recruited via Post-COVID outpatients, rehab facilities, general practitioners, support groups, and other healthcare facilities.
The analyses of 184 data sets of Post-COVID affected produced three key findings: (1) The evaluation of different types of personal resources that may lead to a successful return to work found that particularly the individuals' ability to cope with their situation (measured with the FERUS questionnaire), produced significant differences between participants that had returned to work and those that had not been able to return so far (F = 4.913, = 0.001). (2) In terms of organizational provisions to facilitate successful reintegration into work-life, predominantly structural changes (i.e., modification of the workplace, working hours, and task) were rated as helpful or very helpful on average (mean 2.55/SD = 0.83, mean 2.44/SD = 0.80; mean 2.55/SD = 0.83), while the remaining offerings (i.e., job coaching or health courses) were rated as less helpful or not helpful at all. (3) No significant correlation was found between different care pathways and a successful return to work.
The results of the in-depth descriptive analysis allows to suggests that the level of ability to cope with the Post-COVID syndrome and its associated complaints, as well as the structural adaptation of the workplace to meet the needs and demands of patients better, might be important determinants of a successful return. While the latter might be addressed by employers directly, it might be helpful to integrate training on coping behavior early in care pathways and treatment plans for Post-COVID patients to strengthen their coping abilities aiming to support their successful return to work at an early stage.
大多数人从 SARS-CoV-2 病毒的急性期康复，但有些人会出现持续的症状，即所谓的新冠后综合征。有证据表明，这些持续的症状会显著影响患者重返工作岗位的能力。本文全面概述了不同的护理途径和资源，包括个人和外部资源，旨在支持新冠后患者在重返工作生活的过程中。通过描述新冠后患者重返工作岗位的现状，本文为了解他们的需求提供了有价值的见解。
采用定量研究设计，使用在线问卷作为工具。参与者通过新冠后门诊、康复机构、全科医生、支持小组和其他医疗机构招募。
对 184 名新冠后受影响患者的数据进行分析，得出了三个主要发现：（1）评估可能导致成功重返工作岗位的不同类型的个人资源发现，个体应对自身状况的能力（用 FERUS 问卷衡量）在已经重返工作岗位的参与者和尚未成功重返工作岗位的参与者之间产生了显著差异（F = 4.913， = 0.001）。（2）就促进成功重返工作生活的组织规定而言，结构上的改变（即工作场所、工作时间和任务的改变）平均被评为有帮助或非常有帮助（均值 2.55/SD = 0.83，均值 2.44/SD = 0.80；均值 2.55/SD = 0.83），而其余的措施（即工作指导或健康课程）则被评为帮助不大或没有帮助。（3）不同的护理途径与成功重返工作岗位之间没有发现显著相关性。
深入描述性分析的结果表明，应对新冠后综合征及其相关症状的能力水平，以及更好地适应工作场所以满足患者的需求和要求的结构调整，可能是成功重返工作的重要决定因素。虽然后者可能由雇主直接解决，但在新冠后患者的护理途径和治疗计划中尽早纳入应对行为的培训，以增强他们的应对能力，从而在早期支持他们成功重返工作岗位，可能会有所帮助。
