Working with Influenza-Like Illness: Presenteeism Among US Health Care Personnel During the 2014–2015 Influenza Season

Details

• Personal Author:
  Black CL ; Campbell AP ; Chiu, Sophia ; De Perio, Marie A. ; Greby SM ; Laney AS ; Yue X
• Description:
  Background: Health care personnel (HCP) working while experiencing influenza-like illness (ILI) contribute to influenza transmission in health care settings. Studies focused on certain HCP occupations or work settings have demonstrated that some HCP often continue to work while ill. Methods: Using a national nonprobability Internet panel survey of 1,914 HCP during the 2014-2015 influenza season, we calculated the frequency of working with self-reported ILI (ie, fever and cough or sore throat) and examined reasons for working with ILI by occupation and work setting. Results: Overall, 414 (21.6%) HCP reported ILI, and 183 (41.4%) reported working with ILI (median, 3 days; range, 0-30 days). Pharmacists (67.2%) and physicians (63.2%) had the highest frequency of working with ILI. By work setting, hospital-based HCP had the highest frequency of working with ILI (49.3%). The most common reasons for working while ill included still being able to perform job duties and not feeling bad enough to miss work. Among HCP at long-term care facilities, the most common reason was inability to afford lost pay. Conclusions: More than 40% of HCP with ILI work while ill. To reduce HCP-associated influenza transmission, potential interventions could target HCP misconceptions about working while ill and paid sick leave policies. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Communicable Diseases Health Care Facilities Workforce And Services Health Personnel Influenza, Human Occupational Health Pharmacies Preventive Medicine Safety Surveys And Questionnaires Viral Diseases Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Ill Costs Disease Transmission Health Care Facilities Health Care Personnel Health Surveys Infectious Diseases Influenza Intervention Medical Personnel Occupational Health Pharmacists Physicians Preventive Medicine Sick Leave Surveillance Viral Diseases Viral Infections Work Environment Work Performance

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• ISSN:
  0196-6553
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies ; RHD - Respiratory Health Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  45
• Issue:
  11
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20049877
• Citation:
  Am J Infect Control 2017 Nov; 45(11):1254-1258
• Contact Point Address:
  Sophia Chiu, MD, MPH, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1090 Tusculum Ave, Mailstop R-9, Cincinnati, OH 45226-1938
• Email:
  yjx9@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• NORA Priority Area:
  Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Infection Control
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:a8fa2caec079974f4452e04662d78c58ce417a8eaba25ebfa86faf9cb81a2d7814cc72879d37998b6d82ce2258d21eef415ff60a4739baf6afd7a64597875648
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/210473/cdc_210473_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 419.56 KB ]