Evaluation of the return to work and its duration after myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND: The evaluation of the ability for return to work among patients after myocardial infarction (MI) is subject to controversy. Understanding various factors, which may affect return to work process, will help in promoting effective communication between physicians and patients. Return to work is dependent on such factors as patients’ functional capacity, MI expansion, cardiac muscle function, some psychiatric variables, job satisfaction, economic status, and age. In this study, we aimed to assess the frequency of return to work after first MI attack, and factors affecting it. METHODS: This was a follow-up study performed in Yazd, Iran from September ۲۰۰۷ until September ۲۰۱۰ on ۲۰۰ patients suffering from their first MI attack. Patients were assessed ۶ months and ۱-year after MI regarding their cardiac function. Job satisfaction was evaluated by Direct Support Professional job satisfaction questionnaire. RESULTS: Seventy-seven percent of MI patients returned to work after ۱-year. Mean time for return to work was ۴۶.۰۰ ± ۴.۱۲ days. Sixty percent of patients returned to work during the first ۵۰ days after MI and ۵۰% of them during ۴۰ days after MI. The most common reason for not returning to work was patient’s decision. CONCLUSION: This study showed that a considerable numbers of patients returned to work after ۱-year. The only factors which affected the rate of return to work were left ventricular function after MI and job satisfaction.   Keywords: Myocardial Infarction, Return to Work, Left Ventricular Function, Job Satisfaction