Study: GERD has big impact on productivity
Forty-one percent more sick days, 59% more short-term disability days, 39% more long-term disability days, 48% more workers' compensation days, and 6% lower annual productivity.
You'd probably guess that these dismal statistics involve diabetic or obese workersbut they actually refer to gastroesophegal reflux disease (GERD).
Researchers looked at 11,653 employees with GERD and compared them with 255,616 without GERD from a database of U.S. employee health care and payroll data, and found that employees with GERD were much less productive.1
Despite this, GERD usually doesn't get the attention it deserves from OHNs. "GERD is often overlooked because it gets a bad rap as a 'lifestyle' diseaseif only patients would alter their lifestyles, they wouldn't have the problem," says Nathan L. Kleinman, PhD, one of the study's authors and senior research analyst at Human Capital Management Services in Cheyenne, WY. "This takes no account of the physiology of transient relaxations of the lower esophageal sphincter and the need to reduce the presence of acid in the esophagus."
Better management and treatment would likely result in fewer absences and decreased costs, says Kleinman. He recommends screening for GERD in your annual Health Risk Assessment surveys.
"GERD is a significant disease that should be recognized by occupational health nurses and professionals," says Kleinman. "Focus on those with the most troublesome GERD symptoms. For those who report symptoms severe enough to impact their daily activities, offer an opportunity for treatment."
Reference
1. Wahlqvist P, Brook RA, Campbell SM, et al. Objective measurement of work absence and on-the-job productivity: A case-control study of US employees with and without gastroesophageal reflux disease. Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine 2008; 50(1):25-31.
SOURCE
For more information about management of employees with gastroesophegal reflux disease, contact:
- Nathan L. Kleinman, PhD, Senior Research Analyst & Consultant, Human Capital Management Services, Cheyenne, WY. Phone: (307) 638-0015. E-mail: [email protected].
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