A survey of 150 medical residents found that 51% of respondents went to work while experiencing flulike symptoms in the past year, according to an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). 
The survey looks at presenteeism, which is the act of working while ill. Presenteeism can pose a danger to patients’ health and make disease transmission more likely. According to the survey results, resident physicians feel pressure to work while ill due to pressure from peers and lack of an adequate system of coverage. The most common reasons given for working while ill were the following:
The survey looks at presenteeism, which is the act of working while ill. Presenteeism can pose a danger to patients’ health and make disease transmission more likely. According to the survey results, resident physicians feel pressure to work while ill due to pressure from peers and lack of an adequate system of coverage. The most common reasons given for working while ill were the following:
- Did not want to force colleagues to cover
- Felt responsibility to care for patients
- Afraid colleagues would thing they were “weak”
The article’s authors say the practice of presenteeism requires resident physicians to decide among conflicting values. On the one hand, residents have an obligation to be there for patients. On the other, they have an ethical responsibility to not cause any harm to patients. Perhaps facilities should improve their systems of coverage so residents do not feel pressured to work when sick. Using locum tenens physicians to pick up shifts for sick residents will ensure that patients have access to quality care without the risk of contracting an illness from their provider.
