Health check documentation of psychosocial factors using the WAI

Health checks in occupational health (OH) care should prevent deterioration of work ability and promote well-being at work. Documentation of health checks should reflect and support continuity of prevention and practice.

To analyse how OH nurses (OHNs) undertaking health checks document psychosocial factors at work and use the Work Ability Index (WAI).

Analysis of two consecutive OHN health check records and WAI scores with statistical analyses and annotations of 13 psychosocial factors based on a publicly available standard on psychosocial risk management: British Standards Institution specification PAS 1010, part of European Council Directive 89/391/EEC, with a special focus on work-related stress and workplace violence.

We analysed health check records for 196 employees. The most frequently documented psychosocial risk factors were home-work interface, work environment and equipment, job content, workload and work pace and work schedule. The correlations between the number of documented risk and non-risk factors and WAI scores were significant: OHNs documented more risk factors in employees with lower WAI scores. However, documented psychosocial risk factors were not followed up, and the OHNs' most common response to detected psychosocial risks was an appointment with a physician.

The number of psychosocial risk factors documented by OHNs correlated with subjects' WAI scores. However, the documentation was not systematic and the interventions were not always relevant. OHNs need a structure to document psychosocial factors and more guidance in how to use the documentation as a tool in their decision making in health checks.