Factors affecting sick leave prescribing in occupational health care: a survey based on hypothetical patient cases.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Several studies have shown considerable differences in the way that physicians prescribe sick leave. The aim of this study was to examine the sick leave prescribing practices of occupational health care physicians and factors affecting these practices.

Methods

A questionnaire study with 19 hypothetical patient cases was conducted among 356 Finnish occupational health care physicians. The effects of both physician-related and local structural background variables on sick leave prescribing were studied using regression models. Economic consequences of the variation in sick leave prescribing were estimated.

Results

When the cases were considered individually, the variation in prescribed sick leave days was relatively small. However, when considered together, v

SUBMITTER: Kankaanpaa AT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4021310 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature