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Published on: August 1, 2019
Missed work related to mid-week screening colonoscopy
Mamie H Dong1, Denise Kalmaz, Thomas J Savides
1Division of Gastroenterology, University of California at San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0063, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA. mhdong@ucsd.edu
Digestive Diseases and Sciences
|January 12, 2011
Summary
Many working individuals miss additional days off work for screening colonoscopies, often due to bowel preparation or sedation. This impacts work productivity and increases indirect costs.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Occupational Health
Background:
- Screening colonoscopies commonly necessitate time off work on the procedure day.
- Limited data exists on extended work absence and its causes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the patterns and reasons for missed work associated with screening colonoscopies.
Main Methods:
- Review of outpatient screening colonoscopies at an academic medical center over six months.
- Exclusion of non-screening procedures, older patients, weekend procedures, and non-working individuals.
- Telephone interviews to determine missed work duration and reasons.
Main Results:
- 34% of eligible patients missed more than one day of work.
- Reasons for absence included anticipation of bowel preparation and precautionary measures or symptoms post-sedation.
- Specific absences included the day before (32%), the day after (10%), and both days (9%).
Conclusions:
- A significant portion of working patients undertaking mid-week screening colonoscopies miss additional workdays.
- Unforeseen work absences may escalate the indirect economic burden of screening colonoscopy.
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