Health promotion program: a resident well-being study

Surgical training places unique stresses on residents that can lead to decreased levels of presenteeism. We hypothesized that presenteeism levels could be positively influenced by improving workplace hygiene. a cohort of surgical residents was asked to complete the Stanford Presenteeism Scale: Health Status and Employee Productivity (SPS-6) questionnaire before, and one year after the implementation of a workplace health promotion program. Twenty-six of thirty-three residents responded to the initial survey and reported a mean SPS-6 score of 17.3 +/- 4.5, well below population normative value of 24 +/- 3 (p < 0.0001). At one-year post intervention 25 of 32 residents responded, reporting a mean SPS-6 score of 18.3+/- 4.6. The mean SPS-6 score improved by 1.2+/- 3.8 (p = 0.35). Subgroup analysis showed a trend toward improved SPS-6 in those who participated in the health promotion program (p = 0.15) and a significant difference when junior residents were compared to seniors (p = 0.034). Overall, results were limited by our small sample size. Presenteeism scores for surgical residents at our institution are well below population values. Use of validated tools such as the SPS-6 may allow for more objective analysis and decision making when planning for resident education and workload. PRESENTEEISM: the ability while on the job to produce quality work at maximum productivity. DECREASED PRESENTEEISM: a state of decreased productivity and below-normal work quality related to health/workplace distracters.