Psychosocial Workplace Factors and Healthcare Utilization: A Study of Two Employers

Abstract

<span class="fontstyle0">Background</span><br /> <span class="fontstyle0">While a large literature links psychosocial workplace factors with health and health behaviors, there is very little work connecting psychosocial workplace factors to healthcare utilization.<br /></span><br /> <br /> <span class="fontstyle0">Methods</span><br /> <span class="fontstyle0">Survey data were collected from two different employers using computer-assisted telephone interviewing as a part of the Work-Family Health Network (2008-2013): one in the information technology (IT) service industry and one that is responsible for a network of long-term care (LTC) facilities. Participants were surveyed four times at six month intervals. Responses in each wave were used to predict utilization in the following wave. Four utilization measures were outcomes: having at least one emergency room (ER)/Urgent care, having at least one other healthcare visit, number of ER/urgent care visits, and number of other healthcare visits. Population-averaged models using all four waves controlled for health and other factors associated with utilization.<br /></span><br /> <br /> <span class="fontstyle0">Results</span><br /> <span class="fontstyle0">Having above median job demands was positively related to the odds of at least one healthcare visit, odds ratio [OR] 1.37 (</span><span class="fontstyle0">P </span><span class="fontstyle0">< .01), and the number of healthcare visits, incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.36 (</span><span class="fontstyle0">P </span><span class="fontstyle0">< .05), in the LTC sample. Work-to-family conflict was positively associated with the odds of at least one ER/urgent care visit in the LTC sample, OR 1.15 (</span><span class="fontstyle0">P </span><span class="fontstyle0">< .05), at least one healthcare visit in the IT sample, OR 1.35 (</span><span class="fontstyle0">P </span><span class="fontstyle0">< .01), and with more visits in the IT sample, IRR 1.35 (</span><span class="fontstyle0">P </span><span class="fontstyle0">< .01). Greater schedule control was associated with reductions in the number of ER/urgent care visits, IRR 0.71 (</span><span class="fontstyle0">P </span><span class="fontstyle0">< .05), in the IT sample.<br /></span><br /> <br /> <span class="fontstyle0">Conclusion</span><br /> <span class="fontstyle0">Controlling for other factors, some psychosocial workplace factors were associated with future healthcare utilization. Additional research is needed.</span>