Factors associated with return to work following myocardial infarction: A systematic review of observational studies

Objectives To identify and critically synthesise literature on return to work of patients following a myocardial infarction and to identify factors that are associated with this. Background Understanding when patients return to work after myocardial infarction and what factors are associated with this may be helpful in designing person-centred treatment plans to facilitate patients' rehabilitation and return to work. Design A narrative systematic review. Review methods Six databases, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Academic Search Complete, EMBASE, SCOPUS and ProQuest Health and Medicine, and the search engine Google were searched to retrieve peer-reviewed articles published in English from January 2008-January 2020. In total, 22,217 papers were sourced and screened, with 18 papers retained for quality appraisal using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools. Results The mean time to return to work varied between 46-192 days; about half the participants resumed work by 3 months. Patients who were male, younger, educated, non-manual workers or owned their own business, and those who evaluated their general and mental health highly, and had shorter hospitalisation, fewer comorbidities, complications and mental health issues were more likely to return to work after myocardial infarction. Relevance to clinical practice Findings may help nurses detect patients at increased risk of failure to return to work and provide appropriate support to facilitate this.