Stay home!
Mike has posted several times recently on presenteeism, a problem that is long overdue for increased attention. At a time when more and more healthcare workers are at risk for termination should they not get their flu shots, why are we not taking presenteeism more seriously? It seems like a much greater threat to our patients than is an 86% influenza vaccination rate (the rate we achieved here without a mandate). Today’s NY Times has an excellent piece by Dr. Pauline Chen, describing her personal experience and discussing the Journal of General Internal Medicine paper that Mike blogged about previously. I’ll end with this quote from Dr. Chen’s article:
Mike's previous posts on presenteeism
The JGIM paper (pdf)
Dr. Chen's NY Times article
“......when doctors come into work so sick they need intravenous fluids, it’s considered a badge of courage,” said Dr. Eric Widera, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor of geriatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. “No one is standing up for the patient and saying, ‘This is wrong.’ ”
Mike's previous posts on presenteeism
The JGIM paper (pdf)
Dr. Chen's NY Times article
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