Table 2.
Summary of reported return to work times according to methodological characteristics.
| Subgroup | Studies | Observations A | Return to work time reported as median (days) |
Studies | Observations A | Return to work time reported as mean (days) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median | Range | Median | Range | |||||
| All studies | 19 | 35 | 28 | 7-60 | 41 | 81 | 30 | 4-168 |
| Study | ||||||||
| Randomised controlled trials | 11 | 24 | 26 | 7-59 | 11 | 23 | 25 | 12-84 |
| Observational study | 8 | 11 | 35 | 21.5-60 | 30 | 58 | 36 | 4-168 |
| CTR procedure | ||||||||
| Open CTR | 15 | 21 | 34 | 14-60 | 29 | 44 | 29.5 | 4-85 |
| Endoscopic CTR | 9 | 10 | 18.75 | 7-51 | 21 | 28 | 22 | 12-92 |
| Procedure not reported | 3 | 4 | 35 | 26.5-41 | 6 | 10 | 119.5 | 31-168 |
| Sample size | ||||||||
| <30 workers | 7 | 14 | 23.25 | 7-59 | 17 | 28 | 29 | 4-126 |
| 30-100 workers | 9 | 15 | 28 | 14-46.5 | 24 | 40 | 31 | 6-168 |
| >100 workers | 4 | 6 | 38 | 27-60 | 9 | 13 | 44 | 15-140 |
| Source of return to work data | ||||||||
| Regional or national databases | 3 | 8 | 34.5 | 27-51 | 3 | 8 | 57 | 28-85 |
| Questionnaires or interviews | 4 | 5 | 53 | 35-60 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 4-92 |
| Medical records | 3 | 4 | 22.25 | 14-28 | 15 | 32 | 36 | 6-160 |
| Not reported | 7 | 14 | 23 | 14-46.5 | 14 | 27 | 22 | 6-168 |
| Location | ||||||||
| Scandinavia | 8 | 18 | 30 | 7-51 | 5 | 10 | 34.5 | 17-84 |
| Europe (excluding Scandinavia) | 4 | 6 | 19.5 | 14-60 | 12 | 21 | 26 | 15-57 |
| North America | 8 | 13 | 28 | 13-59 | 22 | 44 | 37 | 4-168 |
| Other | - | - | - | - | 3 | 6 | 21.5 | 9-49 |
| Risk of bias | ||||||||
| Low (all studies) | 3 | 7 | 37 | 28-51 | 2 | 6 | 48 | 28-84 |
| Moderate (observational studies) | 4 | 5 | 34 | 13-60 | 12 | 21 | 57 | 9-160 |
| Unclear (randomised controlled trials) | 5 | 10 | 19.25 | 7-28 | 9 | 17 | 24 | 15-43 |
| High/serious/critical (all studies) | 7 | 13 | 38 | 14-59 | 18 | 37 | 29 | 4-168 |
A
Number of study arms;
B
any reported health insurance including national and personal schemes. For each summary calculation, the number of studies and observations (study arms) are reported. Summary data was not weighted for sample size.