Return to work after breast cancer: women's experiences of encounters with different stakeholders

Abstract

Objective: Long-term sickness absence is common among women with breast cancer and more knowledge, from the individuals' perspective, is needed regarding factors that influence their return to work (RTW). The aim was to gain knowledge about women's experiences of encounters regarding RTW after breast cancer surgery.

Methods: Qualitative content analysis was applied to data obtained in four focus group interviews with 23 women treated for breast cancer regarding aspects of RTW.

Results: The women talked about encounters regarding RTW they had had with the following stakeholders: social insurance staff, employers, colleagues, healthcare personnel, family, and friends. Three categories of such encounters were identified, involving: (i) adjustments associated with the women's needs (e.g., at work, handling sickness benefits, or care), (ii) information shared with the women (e.g., concerning sickness insurance or side effects of treatment), and (iii) attitudes perceived and appraised by the women, respectively. The third category comprised two subcategories of stakeholders' attitudes: those concerning work adjustments or being sickness absent, and those directed towards the women themselves, respectively.

Conclusions: Women with breast cancer experience that encounters with many different types of stakeholders affect their RTW. Important aspects of the encounters are what attitudes the professionals convey, what information the women receive, and whether adjustments of relevance are discussed. A mutual knowledge about other stakeholders involved in the RTW process and how the women are encountered by others, may be useful for each stakeholder to facilitate a closer collaboration in order to find flexible solutions and adjustments for individuals which in turn may facilitate RTW.