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Reported variability in healthcare facility policies regarding healthcare personnel working while experiencing influenza-like illnesses: An emerging infections network survey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2019

Hilary M. Babcock ,
Susan E. Beekmann Open the ORCID record for Susan E. Beekmann [Opens in a new window] ,
Satish K. Pillai ,
Scott Santibanez ,
Leslie Lee ,
David T. Kuhar ,
Angela P. Campbell ,
Anita Patel  and
Philip M. Polgreen
Hilary M. Babcock*
Affiliation:
Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
Susan E. Beekmann
Affiliation:
University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa
Satish K. Pillai
Affiliation:
Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
Scott Santibanez
Affiliation:
Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
Leslie Lee
Affiliation:
General Dynamics Information Technology, contracted to the Influenza Coordination Unit, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
David T. Kuhar
Affiliation:
Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
Angela P. Campbell
Affiliation:
Influenza Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
Anita Patel
Affiliation:
Influenza Coordination Unit, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
Philip M. Polgreen
Affiliation:
University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa
*
Author for correspondence: Hilary Babcock, Email: hbabcock@wustl.edu
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Abstract

Background:

Presenteeism, or working while ill, by healthcare personnel (HCP) experiencing influenza-like illness (ILI) puts patients and coworkers at risk. However, hospital policies and practices may not consistently facilitate HCP staying home when ill.

Objective and methods:

We conducted a mixed-methods survey in March 2018 of Emerging Infections Network infectious diseases physicians, describing institutional experiences with and policies for HCP working with ILI.

Results:

Of 715 physicians, 367 (51%) responded. Of 367, 135 (37%) were unaware of institutional policies. Of the remaining 232 respondents, 206 (89%) reported institutional policies regarding work restrictions for HCP with influenza or ILI, but only 145 (63%) said these were communicated at least annually. More than half of respondents (124, 53%) reported that adherence to work restrictions was not monitored or enforced. Work restrictions were most often not perceived to be enforced for physicians-in-training and attending physicians. Nearly all (223, 96%) reported that their facility tracked laboratory-confirmed influenza (LCI) in patients; 85 (37%) reported tracking ILI. For employees, 109 (47%) reported tracking of LCI and 53 (23%) reported tracking ILI. For independent physicians, not employed by the facility, 30 (13%) reported tracking LCI and 11 (5%) ILI.

Conclusion:

More than one-third of respondents were unaware of whether their institutions had policies to prevent HCP with ILI from working; among those with knowledge of institutional policies, dissemination, monitoring, and enforcement of these policies was highly variable. Improving communication about work-restriction policies, as well as monitoring and enforcement, may help prevent the spread of infections from HCP to patients.

Type
Original Article
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 41 , Issue 1 , January 2020 , pp. 80 - 85
Creative Commons
This work is classified, for copyright purposes, as a work of the U.S. Government and is not subject to copyright protection within the United States.
Copyright
© 2019 by The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. All rights reserved.

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