Return to work outcomes in solid organ transplant recipients: A protocol for a global scoping review

Vinícius Araújo Pereira, William Donegá Martinez, Martins Fideles dos Santos-Neto, Thaysa Castro Molina, William José Duca, Paulo César Arroyo-Júnior, Allana C Fortunato, Adília Maria Pires Sciarra, Andressa Karina Stefani, Alex Bertolazzo Quitério, Sônia Maria Maciel Lopes, Luiz Otávio Maciel Lopes, Lucian Borges Lázaro, Flávia Cristina Custódio, Isabela Amaral de Almeida Bistafa, José Nathan Fernandes Rocha, João Daniel De Souza Menezes, Matheus Querino da Silva, Emerson Roberto dos Santos, Licia Paula Schelbauer Borges, Gabriela Gouvea Silva, Vania Del Arco Paschoal, Maysa Alahmar Bianchin, Luís Cesar Fava Spessoto, Heloísa Cristina Caldas, Fernando Nestor Facio Júnior, Júlio César André and Renato Ferreira da Silva

PLOS ONE, 2026, vol. 21, issue 4, 1-9

Abstract: Solid organ transplantation treats end-stage organ failure, improving longevity and quality of life. Return to work post-transplant is a positive indicator of treatment success. However, labor is influenced by multiple biopsychosocial factors, leading to complex barriers that affect recipients’ opportunities. Mapping return-to-work literature may reveal gaps in conceptualization, instruments, analyses, and key determinants. Following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology, this protocol aims to identify knowledge gaps and map the processes and outcomes in the literature on return to work after liver, kidney, heart, and lung transplantation. Following the Population, Concept, and Context strategy, this review is guided by the research question: “What has the literature shown about return to work after solid organ transplantation?”. This protocol was created and recorded on the Open Science Framework under DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/Q6HVT. Database selection and search strategy were determined by a librarian specializing in health sciences. The literature search will be conducted in PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, LILACS, and Web of Science databases. Eligible studies include primary and secondary research on return to work after transplantation, published in English or Portuguese, with no time restrictions. Two reviewers will independently perform the selection and data extraction. The data will be extracted using a pre-designed form to collect key details about the studies’ origin, context, purpose, content, population, and variables related to the return-to-work process. These data will be synthesized following Synthesis Without Meta Analysis guidelines and summarized narratively using tables, graphs, alongside thematic analysis.

Date: 2026
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0319873 (text/html)
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id= ... 19873&type=printable (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0319873

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0319873

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in PLOS ONE from Public Library of Science
Bibliographic data for series maintained by plosone ().