The umbrella organization of the company health insurance funds generates an annual health report from data and surveys as well as from assessments following surveys of its members. This year’s BKK health report already takes into account the difficult effects during and after the corona pandemic. In 2019/2020, respiratory tract infections followed by musculoskeletal disorders were still the number one and number two causes of disease as in previous years, closely followed by mental illnesses, which are more pronounced among Hartz IV recipients. Female members of the BKK are more often ill than male members and younger members are just as more often ill than older ones. However, when older people fall ill, they are also affected by absenteeism for longer periods on average. Women are also more likely to receive outpatient treatment; on average, however, 91 percent of members will have received outpatient treatment at least once in 2019. Women take advantage of cancer screening examinations more frequently and already when they are young (from the age of 20), while men only take advantage of offers of this kind for the most part after reaching retirement age at 65 to 79. According to the report, both sexes visit their doctors on average 8.3 times a year.
The BKK health report also examined mobile working as opposed to working in companies and businesses due to Covid-19. According to the report, respondents‘ motivation is increased by the choice of work location, by more undisturbed and concentrated work, and by the improved work-life balance. Mobile working also reduces the time-consuming and annoying commute, which – the greater and longer the distance travelled – places a greater burden on those affected. BKK members who are economically better off and have better school-leaving qualifications clearly have fewer sick days than members in a worse social position, who are less able to cope with the negative and positive effects of the corona pandemic. According to the study, 44 percent of BKK members are commuters with more or less sick days. There is also a whole other range of positive effects of the infection, such as a reduction in business trips and work-related relocations, but also a vote of confidence by employers for respondents working in their home office. However, negative effects are also present. These include loneliness and unhealthy work situations at home. Supply and rehabilitation researcher at the University of Cologne, Holger Pfaff, has found that a combination of mobile working and presence in the office results in an optimal workplace situation. In this way, individual work agreements with time and location-independent solutions work best, but also team compositions based on professional qualifications and not on spatial distribution, for example. According to other experts, individual solutions strengthen self-management skills and thus reduce psychological stress situations and thus absences due to illness.
Source: Ärzteblatt