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Uptake of Voluntary Occupational Health Care—Assessments of German Occupational Health Physicians and Employees

Author

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  • Martina Michaelis

    (Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine and Health Services Research, University Hospital, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
    Research Centre for Occupational and Social Medicine (FFAS), 79098 Freiburg, Germany
    Shared first authorship.)

  • Christine Preiser

    (Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine and Health Services Research, University Hospital, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
    Shared first authorship.)

  • Susanne Voelter-Mahlknecht

    (Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine and Health Services Research, University Hospital, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
    Institute of Occupational Medicine, Charité—University Medicine, Corporate Member of Free University and Humboldt University, 13347 Berlin, Germany)

  • Nicole Blomberg

    (Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine and Health Services Research, University Hospital, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
    Statutory Accident Insurance and Prevention in the Health and Welfare Services (BGW), 44789 Bochum, Germany)

  • Monika A. Rieger

    (Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine and Health Services Research, University Hospital, 72074 Tübingen, Germany)

Abstract

Workers’ health surveillance is considered essential for employees’ health and protection against hazardous working conditions. It is one part of occupational health care and thus one of four pillars of holistic workplace health management. In Germany, employers are obliged to provide mandatory and voluntary occupational health care (OHC) to employees, dependent on the defined occupational hazards. However, employees are not obliged to make use of voluntary OHC. No empirical information is available about the uptake of voluntary OHC by employees and the influencing factors in Germany. Thus, we carried out an explorative multi-perspective study with qualitative and quantitative elements to get insights from the view of occupational health physicians (OHPs) and employees. We conducted a survey among OHPs based on prior statements from two focus group discussions. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to detect enablers and barriers regarding employee uptake of the offered voluntary OHC. We used extended qualitative methods among employees instead of an analogous survey. In total, 460 OHPs participated in the survey (response rate 29.1%), and 25 employees took part in interviews. Most of the employees had not heard the term voluntary OHC before, and only a few remembered respective occupational health care after explanatory request. In total, 78% of the OHPs assessed that employees always/mostly take up voluntary OHC. The most important attributed reason for non-uptake was that employees see no need for occupational health care when they feel healthy. The most important enabler for the perceived high uptake of voluntary OHC in the regression analysis was a positive attitude of the OHP toward voluntary OHC. While OHPs perceived that voluntary OHC was accepted by a majority of employees, this was not confirmed by the interviews with selected employees. This could indicate that the OHP respondents overestimated the amount of uptake. Since it became clear that employees are often unfamiliar with the terminology itself, we see a need for more and better information regarding the objectives and content of occupational health care to improve this important pillar of workplace health management.

Suggested Citation

  • Martina Michaelis & Christine Preiser & Susanne Voelter-Mahlknecht & Nicole Blomberg & Monika A. Rieger, 2022. "Uptake of Voluntary Occupational Health Care—Assessments of German Occupational Health Physicians and Employees," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-22, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:15:p:9602-:d:880287
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    References listed on IDEAS

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