Page 191 - HA Convention 2015

Service Priorities and Programmes Free Papers

SPP7.7 Committed and Happy Staff 13:15 Room 221

Work Ability among Staff in Hong Kong East Cluster of Hospital Authority in Hong Kong
Wong MS, Li YFR
Occupational Health Centre, Hong Kong East Cluster, Hospital Authority, Hong Kong

Introduction

According to the Boorman Review in United Kingdom, the health and well-being status of hospital workers is linked to the
performance of hospitals. Boorman observed that the well-being of health workers was directly proportional to patients’
satisfaction, and inversely proportional to methicillin-resistance Staphylococcus aureus infection rate and patient mortality
rates. In 2014, the Health and Well-being Team of Hong Kong East Cluster (HKEC) of Hospital Authority (HA) conducted a “Work
and Well-being Questionnaire” to evaluate the health status, work demands and resources of staff working in HKEC.

Objectives

(1) To assess the current health status and work ability of HKEC staff; and (2) to help develop a model to improve staff health
and well-being in the future.

Methodology Tuesday, 19 May

All staffs in HKEC were included in the survey. A total of 7,803 questionnaires were distributed to six hospitals and ten
General Outpatient Clinics through the Occupational Safety and Health Link Persons. Promotion booths in individual
hospitals were set up to assist staff filling in the questionnaire. The questionnaire was adopted from the Work Ability Index
(WAI) questionnaire, a well-known instrument worldwide that assesses work ability of individual workers or workforce and
predicts their health risk, to obtain A WAI score. Another questionnaire on lifestyle factors adopted from Department of
Health of Hong Kong was also used. Lifestyle factors including exercise, diet, smoking and drinking were studied.

Results

A total of 5,265 questionnaires were collected and 4,643 completed questionnaires were used for analysis. Among the
participants, there were doctors (4.2%), nurses (33.4%), allied health professionals (10.7%), clerical/administration staff (17.1%),
clinical supporting staff (17.4%) and other supporting staff (17.2%). The distribution was similar to the workforce in HKEC. The
WAI range was 15 to 49, with a mean score of 38.59, which was a marginal “Good” category. Most workers (52.3%) classified
themselves as having good work ability. Nurses had the lowest WAI score (37.4), whereas the other supporting staff scored
the highest (39.9). The difference in WAI scores among different staff groups was statistically significant (P<0.001). The most
frequent self-reported diseases were slight mental disorder or problem (27.7%), whereas the commonest diseases diagnosed
by physician were injury of limbs (26.8%). Fruit/vegetable consumption and exercise was found to have a positive correlation
with WAI, whereas smoking and sugar intake was negatively correlated.

Discussion
This is the first work ability assessment ever conducted in the HA. The valuable information obtained will help identifying
workers at risk of work-related disability, and help in giving future direction of health promotion.

HOSPITAL AUTHORITY CONVENTION 2015

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