Abstract

Background:In general, physicians and family physicians more specifically tend to treat themselves in an informal matter. The evidence suggests that family physicians have a tendency not to consult other physicians while they are sick and tend to self-treat. Health-related absenteeism among family physicians in primary care settings is an issue that needs to be addressed.Aim:The aim of this study is to identify the prevalence of health-related absenteeism among family physicians in Al-Wazarat Health Center and to investigate the medical causes associated with sickness absence.Methods:The study used cross-sectional design to investigate the prevalence of health-related absenteeism among family physicians in a primary care setting.Results:The study included 108 physicians from the Al-Wazarat Healthcare Center in Riyadh, KSA. On average, the physicians were absent for 2 days over the last year with 53.3% (64/108) have no health-related absence days. The most common recorded reasons for work absence are the severity of illness 75.0% (81/108) and workload 63.0% (68/108). Influenza was the most common health condition that causes absenteeism 60.2% (65/108). The attitude toward working while ill scored 2.3 ± 2.5, being responsible for affecting the patients if working while ill 8.0 ± 2.8, physicians with chronic diseases should stay away from work 3.7 ± 3.7, and the quality of healthcare service could be affected by the physician's illness 7.5 ± 2.5.Conclusions:Further investigations are needed for more understanding of the physicians’ tendencies and casual approach toward working with illness. Such understanding will help to formulate better guidelines for medical practices.

Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call