Pre-employment questionnaires
Re Joseph Buggy's comment that Stuart Whitaker's PEQ 'does not contain
previous working history/ hazards/ health risks or any
record of number of days sickness during past ? 2 years which I believe to
be important on a HQ and assists the screening greatly'. JB (From:
Occupational Health mailing list [[log in to unmask]]; on
behalf of; JOSEPH BUGGY [[log in to unmask])
Stuart would just say that
'a) the process was based on a systematic review of current practices in the
NHS at that time.
b) the shortest questionnaire that was available (from a very senior person
in NHS OH at the time) asked five very broad questions (high sensitivity
poor specificity). The longest questionnaire was 10 pages long and went into
great detail about the applicants medical history, family history etc. with
little relevance to the job (high sensitivity poor specificity)
c) one of the problems with pre employment questionnaires is that everyone
can think of a useful question to ask, but where is the evidence base for
these assumptions?
It might be interesting for the discussion group to know that(under the
Medical Examinations Act - January 1st 1998)pre employment medical
examinations are now illegal in Holland, unless specifically authorised, and
there is an independent medical appeal board established that anyone can
take a complaint to. Pre employment assessments may only be performed when
there are risks involved for the employee's health or safety when performing
his/her duty.'
Forwarded for information by
Isabel Cameron, Librarian and Information Services Officer, BMI Health
Services,
Murray House, 5 Vandon Street, London SW1H 0AL, 020 7593 5369, Fax: 020
7593 5301, [log in to unmask]
|