Bożena Czarkowska-Pączek
Medical University of Warsaw, Poland
Title: Vocational rehabilitation in patient after kidney or liver transplantation
Biography
Biography: Bożena Czarkowska-Pączek
Abstract
Background & Aim: Return to productive employment after transplantation is not well understood process, which is influenced by various bio-psychosocial factors. The aim of present study was cross-sectional analysis of employment status in patients after kidney or liver transplantation.
Material & Methods: Sixty-four (64) patients after kidney or liver transplantation treated at the Infant Jesus Clinical Hospital in Warsaw, Poland, were surveyed, comprising 24 women (37.5%) and 40 men (62.5%). The period after organ transplantation was between 1 to 5 years and the age of patients were between 18 to 45 years old. The study was based on a self-prepared questionnaire developed by specialists in the field of medicine, rehabilitation, psychology and employment. The questionnaire contained 5 parts: Demographic data, professional factors, medical factors, physical factors and psychological factors.
Results: Most of the patients were kidney transplant recipients (79.7%) in relation to liver transplant recipients (20.3%). Sixty-seven percent (67%) of patients had a disability certificate at the time of the completion of the questionnaire. Eighty-four (84) of those patients were after kidney transplantation and forty-two percent (42%) of them were employed during the examination. Forty-eight percent (48%) of patients worked at the time of the completion of the questionnaire and 77 of those worked during 1 year before the transplantation.
Conclusion: The employment rate after kidney or liver transplantation is lower than the general population and it is lower than employment rate from the time before transplantation. Return to employment should be an important milestone in the rehabilitation process after solid organ transplantation.