New View on the Canadian Burden of Stroke: Productivity Loss in Adults Who Return to Work

An often overlooked facet of the indirect costs affecting working-age stroke survivors is the challenges experienced by those who return to work. This study quantified the productivity loss in 20 stroke survivors who returned to work which amounted to 53.0 missed work days and an average indirect cost of $10,298 (CAD) in the year following a stroke. Despite the quantified productivity loss, 75% of patients reported no significant disability and a high proportion were self-employed compared to the Canadian population, indicating that socioeconomic factors may be driving patient decisions to return to work.

Automated summary

This study reveals that returning to work after a stroke can result in productivity loss and significant indirect costs, yet a considerable number of stroke survivors still choose to go back to work, possibly driven by lack of significant disability or socioeconomic factors.