Ability to Work and Professional Performance Capacity in Patients after SAH

Abstract

Next to the severity of neurological impairment, the extent of occupational reintegration and performance capacity is a further criterion often used to assess permanent sequelae of the illness and treatment success in patients after SAH. However, this criterion is subject to several limitations that impair the reliability and power of such information. Changes or regional differences of the labor market may lead to the situation that occupational reintegration of the patient is not successful although his/her functional impairments are relatively slight. Moreover, it is well known that patients with a higher level of education are more likely to return to their old profession despite considerable impairments than patients with a lower level of education. Comparable correlations should also hold true for the factors social status and professional status. Furthermore, this criterion is not applicable to housewives who still constitute a large number of the female patients, which further limits its usefulness. Lastly, the reliability of specifications on occupational reintegration remains doubtful since they are also dependent on the investigator. Additionally, it would have to be explored in detail whether eventual occupational changes or unemployment, respectively, can be attributed directly to the consequences of the illness or, if possibly other reasons are of prime importance. Only in the case of illness-dependent retirement this problem does not exist.