Objective: 60-70% of people in the US have chronic gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. Employers bear a significant economic burden for GI conditions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a digital digestive care program on absenteeism.
Methods: Using propensity score matching between participants and non-participants, we evaluated sick days of public school system employees who were offered a digital digestive care program as part of their health benefits.
Results: Baseline annual sick days were comparable for the 237 participants and 400 non-participants. Among employees aged 50 years and older, during the intervention period, participants had significantly fewer sick days than non-participants (1.7 days [SD 4.2], P = 0.02), an approximate direct salary savings of $672/employee annually.
Conclusion: Digital digestive care is promising for decreasing sick days among older workers.
Keywords: Digestive health; Employee absenteeism; Gastrointestinal disorders; Productivity; Telehealth.
Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.