Mitigating absenteeism in hospital workers during a pandemic
Andrew L Garrett1, Yoon Soo Park, Irwin Redlener
1National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, 215 W 125th St, Suite 303, New York, NY 10027, USA. ag2612@columbia.edu
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
|December 3, 2009
Summary
Hospital worker absenteeism during pandemics can be reduced. Providing preferential access to antiviral medication or personal protective equipment for staff and their families significantly increased willingness to work.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Occupational Health
- Disaster Preparedness
Background:
- Pandemics and disasters involving contagion can significantly impact healthcare workforce attendance.
- Healthcare worker absenteeism is an underrepresented issue in emergency planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing hospital worker absenteeism during a pandemic.
- To identify key barriers to reporting for duty among hospital staff.
Main Methods:
- A mixed-methods approach involving focus groups and an internet-based survey.
- Survey distributed to 17,000 hospital workers across 5 urban facilities.
- Employees identified barriers and rated willingness to work before and after intervention proposals.
Main Results:
- 2,864 responses were analyzed.
- Safety concerns were the primary barrier, followed by dependent care and transportation.
- Interventions offering preferential access to antiviral medication or personal protective equipment for employees and families significantly increased willingness to work.
Conclusions:
- Mitigation strategies focusing on preferential access to antiviral therapy and protective equipment for staff and their families are most impactful.
- Findings are relevant for other contamination/contagion disasters and critical infrastructure sectors.
- Addressing workforce absenteeism is crucial for effective disaster response planning.
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