Why Physicians Work When Sick

Abstract

Despite ongoing attention to rising rates of hospital-acquired infections and efforts to stem this growth,¹ limited focus has been given to whether physicians and other health care personnel contribute to workplace transmission of illness by choosing to work when ill.^2-4Presenteeism —the act of working while ill—has important implications for health care personnel, whose repeated interactions with patients make productivity declines from illness more dangerous and disease transmission more likely. While the pressure to work while ill is common across all health care workers, the demand among resident physicians may be particularly great due to pressure from peers and lack of an adequate system of coverage.^5,6 Most residents report coming to work when sick at least once annually, with rates varying little according to sex, specialty, or hospital. These results suggest that presenteeism is ubiquitous and not confined to specific specialties or hospital cultures.^5,6 Despite evidence that most residents work when ill, little is known about the reasons they choose to do so.