Work Research Institute, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2024 Aug 12;24(1):920. doi: 10.1186/s12913-024-11373-6.
High rates of sickness absence is a challenge within the healthcare sector, highlighting the need for effective interventions. Despite this, limited research has been conducted on the impact of such interventions within the healthcare context. This study evaluates an intervention aimed at improving the work environment influences sickness absence rates in Norwegian hospital units. The intervention is a comprehensive framework for discovering and tailoring solutions to each units' specific needs, with a focus on employee involvement and collaboration between leader, union representatives and safety delegates.
We employed two methodological approaches. Method 1 involved using HR-registered sickness absence data to track changes in sickness absence across all intervention units and matched control groups over a three-year period. In Method 2, we used a pre- and post-survey design in 14 intervention units, focusing on employees' job satisfaction and self-reported health.
The results of the intervention were mixed. There was a significant decrease in total sickness absence in the intervention units the first year after the intervention, and a significant decrease in long-term sickness absence both in the first and second year after the intervention, measured with HR registries. However, we did not see a significant larger decrease in total sickness absence in the intervention units compared to the control units and only partial support for a larger decrease in long-term absence in the intervention units. In the subsample of units that also participated in the survey, we observed significant improvements in employee job satisfaction post intervention.
There is a need for research on effective interventions to reduce sickness absence in the healthcare sector. "Where the shoe pinches" provides a potential methodological framework for reducing sickness absence by addressing challenges in the work environment, however with uncertain results. Further exploration is warranted to refine strategies for effectively managing sickness absence within healthcare organizations.
高病假率是医疗保健部门面临的一个挑战，这凸显了需要采取有效的干预措施。尽管如此，针对医疗保健背景下此类干预措施的影响的研究却十分有限。本研究评估了一项旨在改善工作环境以降低挪威医院单位病假率的干预措施。该干预措施是一个全面的框架，旨在发现并针对每个单位的具体需求定制解决方案，重点是员工参与以及领导、工会代表和安全代表之间的合作。
我们采用了两种方法。方法 1 涉及使用人力资源登记的病假数据，以跟踪三年内所有干预单位和匹配对照组的病假变化。在方法 2 中，我们在 14 个干预单位中使用了预 - 后调查设计，重点关注员工的工作满意度和自我报告的健康状况。
干预的结果喜忧参半。干预后的第一年，干预单位的总病假天数显著减少，长期病假（包括第一年和第二年）的减少也具有统计学意义，这是通过人力资源登记数据测量的。然而，我们并未发现干预单位的总病假天数比对照组有更大幅度的减少，并且仅在干预单位中部分支持长期病假天数的更大减少。在也参与了调查的单位的子样本中，我们观察到干预后员工工作满意度显著提高。
需要研究有效的干预措施来减少医疗保健部门的病假。“症结所在”为通过解决工作环境中的挑战来减少病假提供了一个潜在的方法框架，但结果不确定。需要进一步探索以完善在医疗保健组织中有效管理病假的策略。
