The burden and cost of sickness absenteeism amongst healthcare workers at a teaching hospital in South Africa. A cross-sectional study.

A high burden of sickness-related absenteeism (SRA) amongst healthcare workers (HCWs) may impact health service delivery. The burden is known in high-income settings but not well evaluated in low and middle income (LMIC) settings and absent within a South African context. To determine the prevalence, associated medical conditions and cost of SRA amongst HCWs in a LMIC setting, we evaluated Human Resource (HR) absence records from a teaching hospital in South Africa over a 3 year period. Of the 3,543 HCW employed during the study period, 78% (n = 2,748) had at least 1 SRA episode. The overall SRA prevalence was 2.63%. The mean duration of absence was 2.25 days per episode and the mean frequency was 2.65 episodes per annum. Conditions of the musculoskeletal system (40.1%) were the most commonly reported, followed by acute infections of the upper respiratory tract (13.2%) and other respiratory conditions (6.2%). The total direct cost SRA was US$5,105,061.78 over the study period and the mean direct SRA cost per person was US$1,857.74 per episode. The results demonstrate a higher SRA burden compared with studies in similar settings and prompts further research into the causative factors and targeted risk mitigation strategies.

Grantor

Department of Public Health and Family Medicine

Year dc:date.issued

2022

Author dc:creator

• Khan, Muhamed Adil

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Adams, Shahieda
• Cleary, Susan

• Public Health

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37526

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/37526