Preventive Care Utilization, Employer-Sponsored Benefits, and Influences on Utilization by Healthcare Occupational...

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Health Services Research
• Preventive Medicine

Background:

• Healthcare workers face high rates of preventable chronic diseases.
• Few studies examine preventive care use and employer benefits across healthcare job categories (service, support, clinicians).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate disparities in preventive care utilization and employer-sponsored benefits among healthcare workers based on job category.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study analyzing data from 773 healthcare workers.
• Recruitment via the American Population Panel in August 2023.

Main Results:

• While 94% had employer-sponsored health insurance, service and support workers received fewer fringe benefits.
• Service and support workers had significantly lower rates of blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and mental health screenings compared to clinicians.
• No significant differences in vaccination rates were observed between groups.

Conclusions:

• Disparities in preventive care utilization and fringe benefits persist among service and support healthcare workers.
• Occupational health practitioners should advocate for workplace health initiatives, like on-site screenings, to address these disparities.
• Improving access to preventive care can enhance workforce sustainability and the health of all healthcare workers.