The Association between Social Determinants of Health, Risk Factors, Job Performance and Healthcare Costs in an Employed Population.

OBJECTIVE: To compare employees of a US school district based on their social determinants of health (SDoH). METHODS: Employees (N = 5006) were categorized into low, medium, or high need SDoH tiers. Of them, N = 2469 also participated in a health risk appraisal in 2019. Subjects' average healthcare costs, health risk factors, and self-rated job performance were compared by SDoH tier and race. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed among the SDoH comparison groups regarding age, gender, race, and marital status. SDoH was associated with health care costs, number of health risk factors, and self-rated job performance differently for Black and White employees. CONCLUSIONS: SDoH are complex and multi-faceted. Black employees in the high need SDoH group had higher average healthcare costs, lower self-rated job performance, and more average health risk factors than subjects in the lower need tiers.

Occupational Medicine Physicians Transition to Retirement: An International Survey of Preparation, Plans, and Interests.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the needs and interests of occupational medicine physicians (OMPs) as they transition to retirement. METHODS: An electronic survey was distributed through member organizations in the US (ACOEM), UK (SOM/FOM), India (IAOH), South Africa (SASOM), and Medichem. RESULTS: 497 OMPs at various career stages responded, including 282 from the US, 97 from the UK, 36 from India, 30 from South Africa, and 52 from other countries. 278 work full-time, 160 part-time, and 58 are not doing paid work. ~60% serve as volunteers. 60% have a written financial plan. 35% are very comfortable with their retirement plans. After leaving full-time work, 85% plan to work part-time. There is a high level of interest in learning about opportunities for part-time work and volunteering. CONCLUSIONS: OMPs are very interested in learning more about compensated and uncompensated work in retirement.

The Role and Value of Corporate Medical Directors in Employer Benefits Management: Current Perceptions of Corporate Medical Directors and Benefits Professionals.

OBJECTIVE: Knowledge of health-related employer benefits is considered a core competency by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. This study seeks to understand how this translates into practice. METHODS: An electronic survey was e-mailed to members of American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Corporate Medicine and Health and Human Performance Sections; Integrated Benefits Institute; and Employer Health Innovation Roundtable. RESULTS: One hundred nineteen responses were received, including 54 from corporate medical directors (CMDs) and 43 from employee benefits professionals, from a variety of industries. Fifty percent of CMDs reported expertise in designing benefits, but only 25% are engaged with health benefits. The majority of CMDs thought that their involvement was important, while the majority of benefits professionals thought that it was not important. CONCLUSIONS: Many CMDs report having benefits expertise but being underutilized while others report not having expertise.

Role and Value of the Corporate Medical Director.

ABSTRACT: The role of the Corporate Medical Director (CMD) has received increased attention during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued to evolve. This updated guidance addresses the role and value of the CMD in: health policy, strategy, and leadership; fostering a culture of health and well-being; supporting worker health and productivity/performance; addressing mental health; collaborating on employer benefits design; developing programs for global health, travel medicine, and remote/extreme environments; overseeing on- and near-site clinics; incorporating digital technology, artificial intelligence, and telehealth in health programs; supporting critical incident preparedness and business continuity planning; addressing workplace hazards; and overseeing periodic executive health examinations.

Migraine Headache in an Employed Population: Demographics, Health Risks, Pharmaceutical Utilization, and Productivity Loss.

OBJECTIVE: Demographics, health risks, pharmaceutical utilization, and other characteristics of adults with and without migraine who were employed by a school district in the southern United States were compared. METHODS: A total of 4528 employees completed a health risk appraisal. A diagnosis of migraine was reported by 11%. Employees with and without migraine were compared on several measures. RESULTS: Demographic and health risk differences were observed among the comparison groups. One-fifth of migraineurs had a prescription for an opioid, which was associated with very high average annual health care costs ($17,791) compared with migraineurs without opioid ($3907). CONCLUSIONS: Migraine is common in the workforce. Employers may want to educate employees with migraine about evidence-based treatments. Benefit plan design should be consistent with current accepted treatment guidelines for opioid use.

Oral Health: Opportunities for Lifestyle Medicine Highlighted by the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic.

A significant amount of illness has origins in oral microorganisms. The current SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) pandemic has reduced the general population's access to and use of routine and nonemergency dental care. This creates a dangerous situation in which oral bacteria, fungi, and viruses may remain unchecked and allowed to flourish, which in turn increases risks for several systemic diseases as well as negative outcomes for pregnancies and surgical patients. This situation presents opportunities for health maintenance and disease prevention by individuals as well as for dental health professionals to use anti-infective treatments and procedures. Lifestyle medicine professionals have a chance to encourage behaviors that individuals can undertake to promote good oral health outside of the dentist's office as well as shaping public perceptions about and reinforcing the importance of resuming dental visits as governmental restrictions allow.

Results of a Virtual Migraine Education Program in an Employed Population.

OBJECTIVE: Migraine affects about 15% of the world's population and disproportionately affects adults who are working age. It is associated with higher healthcare costs, absenteeism, and lost productivity. A metropolitan school district in the southern United States offered a virtual migraine education program to their teaching employees. METHODS: Seventy-nine employees completed a migraine questionnaire at both baseline and 3-month follow-up. The program included webinars, educational videos, and other intranet-based resources. RESULTS: Results found that program participants reported a significant improvement in the frequency and severity of migraine as well as a reduction in lost on-the-job productivity. A majority of participants reported making positive changes to reduce triggers and better manage stress. CONCLUSIONS: An employer-offered migraine education program distributed virtually to remote workers has the potential to improve migraine symptoms and treatment as well as productivity.

Health and Wealth: The Importance for Lifestyle Medicine.

Many people spend years dreaming about their retirement. Unfortunately, today's workers will likely work longer, suffer greater economic uncertainty, and might have poorer health status compared with retirees in previous generations. Preserving good health during the working years is associated with a more consistent employment record, greater financial resources, and reduced risk of disease. Making smart financial decisions as a younger adult also translates to improved finances in retirement. While many people are aware of these relationships, many continue to make poor health choices. Employers and lifestyle medicine professionals can both work to improve financial well-being in retirement. Employers can offer effective worksite financial wellness programs and promote participation in retirement savings programs. Physicians and other health providers can foster healthy behaviors, encourage preventive services compliance, and help adults foster overall financial and health well-being. Adopting a healthy lifestyle as early as possible would increase the likelihood that today's workers will enjoy financial security in retirement.

Demographics, Preventive Services Compliance, Health, and Healthcare Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Employed Adults.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined demographics, health risks and conditions, preventive services, and health care experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) adults who are employed in the United States. METHODS: Male and female gay, lesbian, or bisexual employees (N = 1191) from seven companies participated in an online survey. RESULTS: Differences were observed in the characteristics of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals on a number of demographic, health, and preventive services measures. Differences were also seen compared to previous studies about LGBTQ adults in the general population. CONCLUSIONS: Employers have a vested interest in making sure their employees have access to quality health care that addresses their unique needs. There is much room for improvement in this area, since a large percentage of respondents reported negative health care experiences, avoiding or postponing care, and difficulty finding an LGBTQ-experienced healthcare provider.

Lifestyle Medicine and Worker Productivity.

The issue of employee productivity has become a major concern for companies. Inefficiency can occur at every stage of production either as poor design, worker limitation, or other factors. It is generally assumed that a healthy worker is more productive than an unhealthy worker. As early as 1776 Adam Smith observed and published in The Wealth of Nations that poor worker health was a detriment to industrial productivity. The objective of this article is to review the literature documenting the gain or loss of productivity related to the health of workers, as well as any lifestyle management strategies that can be used to improve employee health and productivity. The impact of employee obesity, smoking, physical activity, sleep, and behavioral health on productivity will be explored. By identifying and addressing health risks that impair worker performance, lifestyle medicine professionals can demonstrate a significant return on investment by creating a healthier and more productive work force.

A Physician's Guide for Workers' Return to Work During COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: Higher probability of developing severe COVID-19 has been associated with health risk factors and medical conditions which are common among workers globally. For at risk workers, return to work may require additional protective policies and procedures. METHODS: A review of the medical literature was conducted on health risk factors and medical conditions associated with increased COVID-19 morbidity and mortality, standardized measures for community COVID transmission, and occupation-specific risk. RESULTS: The relative risk of acquiring and the severity of COVID-19 for workers is associated with three pillars: individual risk, workplace risk, and community risk. Matrices were developed to determine a worker's individual risk based on these three pillars. CONCLUSIONS: A practical decision tool is proposed for physicians evaluating and managing individual worker COVID-19 risk in the context of returning to work.

Health and Economics of Lifestyle Medicine Strategies.

The cost of medical care in the United States is increasing at an unsustainable rate. The lifestyle medicine (LM) approach is essential to influence the root causes of the growing chronic disease burden. LM addresses health risk factors in primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of developing disease rather than limiting resources and medical expenditures on acute care and reacting to illness, injury, and disease. Employers have much to gain financially from such an approach due to their status as the payer of health care costs for their employees, and as the recipient of productivity gains among their employees. This article discusses LM programs delivered at the worksite, including important findings from the University of Michigan Health Management Research Center. Examples of evidenced-based population LM interventions are summarized for physical activity, weight management, and nutrition programs that address chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes mellitus. These approaches have the potential to reduce health care cost trends, increase employee performance/productivity, and improve patient health outcomes.

Absenteeism and Presenteeism Associated With Common Health Conditions in Brazilian Workers.

BACKGROUND: This study describes the effects of common health conditions associated with absenteeism and presenteeism in a population-based sample of workers in Brazil. METHODS: Data were analyzed from the cross-sectional São Paulo Megacity Mental Health Survey on 1737 employed residents aged more than 18 years old conducted from 2005 to 2007. RESULTS: Physical diseases and mental disorders are highly prevalent among Brazilian workers. The prevalence of absenteeism was 12.8%, and the prevalence of presenteeism was 14.3%. The condition most commonly associated with work impairment was mood disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Improving access to care and increasing detection and management of mental disorders should be a priority in Brazil. Occupational health programs and services can play a key role in increasing the productivity of the Brazilian workforce.

Role and Value of the Corporate Medical Director.

: The role of the corporate medical director (CMD) has evolved over the last 300 years since Ramazzini first identified diseases of Italian workers in the early 1700s. Since then, there has been a gradual blurring of the boundaries between private and workplace health concerns. Today's CMD must have intimate knowledge of their corporation's industry and the businesses that they support, particularly the occupational and environmental programs that comply with all local, state, and/or national standards and regulations. Leading companies not only measure compliance with such standards but also may hold programs to their own internal corporate global standards even if these go beyond local government requirements. This document will explore in greater depth the strength and importance that the CMD brings to the business operations to support a healthy, engaged, and high performing workforce. Part 1 describes the role and value of the CMD, while Part 2 provides collective wisdom for the new CMD from current and past highly experienced CMDs.

Obesity in the Workplace: Impact, Outcomes, and Recommendations.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a comprehensive literature review to develop recommendations for managing obesity among workers to improve health outcomes and to explore the impact of obesity on health costs to determine whether a case can be made for surgical interventions and insurance coverage. METHODS: We searched PubMed from 2011 to 2016, and CINAHL, Scopus, and Cochrane Registry of Clinical Trials for interventions addressing obesity in the workplace. RESULTS: A total of 1419 articles were screened, resulting in 275 articles being included. Several areas were identified that require more research and investigation. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the use of both lifestyle modification and bariatric surgery to assist appropriate patients in losing weight.

The Association Between Changes in Employee Sleep and Changes in Workplace Health and Economic Outcomes.

Sleep disturbance is negatively associated with workplace productivity. This study sought to identify whether or not changes in sleep from 2012 to 2013 were associated with changes in health risks, medical conditions, or workplace economic outcomes. Employees of a Fortune 100 financial services corporation were categorized based on changes in self-reported hours of sleep from 2012 to 2013 and compared based on their health risk factors, medical conditions, health care costs, and productivity measures. Consistently poor sleepers had more health risks and medical conditions compared to consistently optimal sleepers. Sleep improvers had a significant reduction in lost on-the-job productivity while consistently poor sleepers and downgraders had significantly more lost productivity compared to optimal sleepers. Employers may wish to incorporate sleep education initiatives as part of their overall health and wellness strategy.

The Association of Employee Engagement at Work With Health Risks and Presenteeism.

INTRODUCTION: Employee engagement is a key factor in work performance and employee retention. The current study seeks to examine the relationship between employee engagement and health risks and productivity. METHODS: In 2012, employees of a global financial services corporation participated in a health risk appraisal (HRA) which measured employee engagement, health risks, and on-the-job productivity loss (presenteeism). Three engagement categories were created. RESULTS: The highest engaged employees had significantly fewer health risk factors (69.7% overall low-risk status; 1.91 average health risks) and significantly less presenteeism (7.7%) than the mid engagement (67.9% low-risk, 1.98 risks, 9.2% presenteeism) and worst engagement (55.0% low-risk, 2.53 risks, 14.0% presenteeism) groups. CONCLUSIONS: Work engagement appears to be good for both the organization and the individual. Organizations may wish to make use of strategies which increase employee engagement.