Health Related Absenteeism of Family Physicians in the Negev Region of Israel: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Physicians tend to treat their own illnesses differently than the general population, sometimes continuing to come to work when ill. To assess whether family physicians continue to work when ill. A cross-sectional study with a convenience sample. A self-administered, anonymous questionnaire, that included socio-demographic data, questions relating to illness, and reasons for work absenteeism, was completed by family physicians in the Negev region of Israel. 107 physicians participated in the study including 46 women (43 %). The mean age was 45.1 ± 11.4. Forty physicians (37.4 %) said they come to work with an acute illness, 47 (43.9 %) answered that they do so some of the time, and 19 (17.8 %) said that they did not come to work ill. On a scale from 1 to 10 the mean score for the question as to whether physicians are liable to infect their patients was 7.4, with a higher score meaning more likely to infect. Older physicians were more likely to say that the decision to stay away from work was related to the lack of available physicians (P = 0.002), while board certified physicians were more likely than residents to stay away from work due to an acute illness (P = 0.023). Family physicians in the Negev sometimes work when they are ill. This finding has positive sides related to dedication to patients and the work place, but one cannot ignore the fact that patients may be infected by their physicians. Behavioral guidelines, including social, legal, and ethical aspects, should be formulated on this issue.

Family physicians health-related absenteeism at the Al-Wazarat Healthcare Center

“…The questions in the questionnaire were adopted from the literature, especially the study conducted by Khalaila. [ 9 ] The questionnaire also accounted for certain areas in the Saudi community, such as absenteeism related to religious occasions, Ramadan, and social occasions and obligations. The questionnaire was validated using two stages.…”

“…[ 8 ] Physicians are concerned about the idea of being sick and losing control over their health. [ 9 ] These concerns as one study showed can lead to informal and improper treatment, which can lead to less than the optimal practice of preventive medicine. [ 3 ]…”

“…A 2016 cross-sectional survey of 107 family physicians in Negev area in historical Palestine, reported that only 17.8% of the physicians rejected the idea of attending work while ill.[ 9 ] The mean score for the question related to physicians’ responsibility about infecting their patients while ill was 7.4 out of 10. The study did not find differences in the attitude between “older” >45 years and “younger” <45 years toward health-related absence.…”

“…The study did not find differences in the attitude between “older” >45 years and “younger” <45 years toward health-related absence. [ 9 ]…”

Ailing Hearts and Troubled Minds: An Historical and Narratological Study on Illness Narratives by Physicians with Cardiac Disease

“…When physicians become ill, their professional training is not only a resource but also an impediment (McKevitt and Morgan 1997). Articles based on questionnaires and interviews with practising physicians have disclosed a precarious culture of informal consultations and extensive self-medication, resulting in diffused responsibility, delayed diagnosis, and an overall risk of impaired treatment (Campbell and Delva 2003;Kay et al 2008;Khalaila, Margolin, and Peleg 2016). But, while in recent decades the dilemma of the sick doctor has attracted increasing academic interest, only modest scholarly attention has so far been paid to how this dilemma has changed over time (Marchalik 2019).…”