Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sick leave among healthcare workers: a register-based observational study

Reme, Bjørn‐Atle; Grøsland, Mari; Gjefsen, Hege Marie; Magnusson, Karin

doi:10.1136/oemed-2022-108555

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…During the pandemic, there has been a notable rise in sickness absence among healthcare workers. Literature indicates that this increase is attributed to healthcare workers becoming infected with virus and/or wider sector-wide impacts, such as strict infection control measures [28,29].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Well-being of family physicians during COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia

Tajki,

Miroševič,

Gomezelj

et al. 2024

BMC Prim. Care

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Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, family physicians (FPs) served as the the initial point of contact for patients potentially infected with the virus, necessitating frequent updates to treatment protocols. However, practices also faced organizational challenges in providing care to other patients who also needed their medical attention. The pressure on FPs increased and affected their well-being. The international PRICOV-19 study, titled “Primary care in times of COVID-19 pandemic,” investigated how FPs functioned during the COVID‐19 pandemic. This article examines the correlation between various organizational and structural COVID-19-related variables and the well-being of FPs in Slovenia. Methods Between October 2020 and January 2021, we conducted an online cross-sectional survey. The questionnaire was distributed to 1040 Slovenian FPs and 218 family medicine (FM) trainees. Part of the questionnaire assessed the cooperation and well-being of FPs. The Mayo Clinic Well-being Index was used for the assessment. FP’s well-being was also assessed descriptively by asking open-ended questions about maintaining mental health during the pandemic. Potential factors associated with FPs’ well-being were identified using a multivariate linear regression method. Results The final sample comprised 191 participants (response rate 14.1%). The mean value ± standard deviation of the Mayo Well-being Index was 3.3 ± 2.6 points. The FPs with the poorest well-being had 5–15 years of work experience and worked in a practice where work could not be distributed in the absence of a co-worker without compromising the well-being of colleagues. Physical activity was identified as the most common method of maintaining mental health among FPs. Conclusions The results of the study suggest that targeted interventions are needed to support FPs mid-career, increase resilience in practice, promote strong team dynamics, and prioritise physical activity in healthcare. Addressing these aspects can contribute to the well-being of individual FPs and the overall health of the healthcare workers.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Well-being of family physicians during COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia

Tajki,

Miroševič,

Gomezelj

et al. 2024

BMC Prim. Care

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“…This study investigated the characteristics of the COVID-19 work restrictions that occurred in a single institution in Japan between January 2022 and February 2023 and identified several occupations associated with a high risk of contracting COVID-19. Previous studies on the sick leave of hospital care workers during the pandemic collected information for a slightly older period or were conducted in foreign countries [12][13][14][15] ; in contrast, the present study includes all hospital workers at our hospital who were diagnosed with COVID-19 infection during the sixth to eighth waves of the pandemic in Japan. Up until the year before the pandemic, the rate of absenteeism was less than 1% among healthcare workers in our institution.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sick Leave and Absence Rate of Hospital Workers During the Sixth to Eighth Wave of COVID-19 in Japan

Seki,

Uchiyama,

Matsui

et al. 2024

Infect Dis Clin Pract

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Background There are several reports of breakthrough infections of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in vaccinated individuals and reinfections in previously infected individuals. Although the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has increased the incidence of infections at healthcare facilities, the association between the increase in community spread and absence rate of hospital workers due to COVID-19 infection-related sick leave has not yet been fully elucidated. Method We reviewed the case files of patients with COVID-19 diagnosed at the Jikei University Katsushika Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan, between January 1, 2022, and February 28, 2023. The obtained data was used to determine the number of COVID-19 admissions and absence rate of hospital workers due to COVID-19 infection-related sick leave during the sixth to eighth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results Of 1899 patients with confirmed COVID-19, 397 (20.9%) were hospital workers. Of the 397 patients, 71, 156, and 119 contracted the infection during the sixth (January–March 2022), seventh (July–September 2022), and eighth wave (November 2022–February 2023), respectively. The absence rate of hospital workers due to COVID-19 was 6.3%, excluding leaves of absence due to close contact in the seventh wave, which had the highest number of infections. Conclusions Given the difficulty of maintaining a usual work schedule during the COVID-19 outbreak, it may be necessary to re-evaluate the backgrounds of healthcare workers at high risk of contracting COVID-19 and to make aggressive adjustments to their work schedules by distributing assignments and restricting leave.

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