The impact of vestibular schwannoma and its management on employment

Background: Employment is an important factor in quality of life. For vestibular schwannoma (VS) patients, employment is not self-evident, because of the sequelae of the disease or its treatment and their effects on daily life.

Objectives: This study assessed employment status, sick leave (absenteeism) and being less productive at work (presenteeism) in the long-term follow-up of VS patients, and evaluated the impact of treatment strategy (active surveillance, surgery or radiotherapy).

Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was performed in a tertiary university hospital in the Netherlands. Patients completed the iMTA-post productivity questionnaire (iPCQ). Employment status was compared to that of the general Dutch population. Employment, absenteeism and presenteeism were compared between patients under active surveillance, patients after radiotherapy and post-surgical patients.

Result: In total 239 patients participated, of which 67% were employed at the time of the study. Only 14% had a disability pension, which was comparable to the age-matched general Dutch population. The proportion of patients with absenteeism was 8%, resulting in a 4% reduction of working hours. Presenteeism was reported by 14% of patients, resulting in a 2% reduction of working hours. The median number of working hours per week was 36, and since the diagnosis, these hours had been reduced by 6%. There were no significant differences between treatment modalities.

Conclusion: On average, long-term employment status and working hours of VS patients are comparable to the age-matched general population. Treatment strategies do not seem to differentially impact on long-term employment of VS patients.