Use of return-to-work medical clearance data for health surveillance

The US Department of Energy's Health Surveillance System pilot project attempts to monitor the occurrence of major morbidity among active workers through return-to-work medical clearance data. Anecdotal information has suggested that salaried and wage-earning employees differ in compliance with medical clearance policy. Personnel data regarding illness absences among one contractor's employees were used to identify 216 illness absences eligible for medical clearance and medical records were reviewed to determine whether return-to-work clearance had been obtained. Although compliance improved with increasing duration of absence among both salaried and wage-earning employees, overall it was significantly higher among wage-earning than salaried employees.