One of the disturbing trends in recent years has been the number of people feeling like they can’t – and therefore don’t – take time off from work for preventive health visits, both medical AND dental. At first, I thought that this was merely an economic concern, since the economy has not given most people a sense of stability for many years now.
The Washington Post (10/13, Marks) states that a healthcare scheduling service called Zocdoc is encouraging employers to schedule a paid day off for employees each year so they can visit their physician and dentist. According to the article, the “idea seems to be catching on,” and the initiative even has its own website.
CBS News (10/12, Marcus) reported that Zocdoc’s initiative aims to encourage employers to help make it simpler for employees to have their preventive health appointments. In conjunction with launching their campaign this week, Zocdoc also released findings from a survey that shows “3 out of 5 (60 percent) of American workers feel uncomfortable leaving work for preventive care appointments.” The study shows “the cultural conflicts between work and health,” said Zocdoc vice president of communications Jessica Aptman. “There’s this psychological cultural barrier of people feeling like they can’t get away and leave their desk.”
An online video on the Wall Street Journal (10/11, Subscription Publication) website features Zocdoc CEO Oliver Kharraz discussing the initiative.