Self-reported and employer-recorded sickness absence in doctors

Abstract

Background: Doctors' sickness absence reduces the quality and continuity of patient care and is financially costly. Doctors have lower rates of sickness absence than other healthcare workers. Aims: To compare self-reported with recorded sickness absence in doctors in a UK National Health Service hospital trust. Methods: A retrospective questionnaire study. The main outcome measures were self-reported and trustrecorded sickness absence episodes of 4 days or more in two consecutive 6-month periods. Results: The response rate was 82% (607/736). Self-reported sickness absence rates were 1.2% compared with a rate of 0.6% from trust-recorded data. There were 38 matched pairs of self-reported (mean duration: 18 days, standard deviation: 22 days) and trust-recorded (mean duration: 10 days, standard deviation: 17 days) sickness absence episodes of 4 days or more in the 12 months studied. A matched pairs t-test determined that the difference between the two means was significant (t = 2.57, P < 0.05). Conclusions: Doctors' sickness absence was significantly under-recorded in this study population. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved.