Introducing a measure for stress and performance in SMEs
‘The challenges when introducing a simple objective measure for stress and performance in Small Enterprises’
Wednesday 21 October, time: 11.15-12.45, location: C-13.
Organizers:
Søren Ballegaard, Chief Scientific Officer, ULL CARE, Denmark: sba@ullcare.com
Åse Marie Hansen, The National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Denmark, aamh@nrcwe.dk
Finn Gyntelberg, Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen: fg01@bbh.hosp.dk
Background:
The pressure-pain sensitivity on the chest bone (PPS) is linked to the perceived stress level, general mental and physical health, performance and risk of sick leave for the individual employee (1, 2, 3). In case of elevated PPS, an objective withdrawal reflex is present in approximately 90 % of people (1). This new biological measure from the brain brings forward the possibility, by simple and non invasive means, to obtain reliable and objective information.
A simple device for obtaining this measure has been developed in collaboration with the Danish Technical University, and validation has been conducted in collaboration with the Danish National Research Center for the Working Environment. The device is the size of a ball pen, can be used by professionals as well as by non-professionals, and the conduction of the measure takes less than 1 minute.
Although the device meets a demand in Occupational Health facing the problem of stress that is difficult to quantify and relate to fitness for work, it does contain challenges, which is the purpose of this workshop to address.
Scope:
How to meet the challenges when introducing such a measure in Small Enterprises, with special attention to:
How do we introduce this measure in Occupational Health eliminating the risk that employees with a high PPS get stigmatized or exposed?
If case of an elevated PPS:
- How do we make sure that the individual employee addresses this observation
in a constructive way? and
- What kind of support does he/she needs in this situation?
- Should the support take place during work time or spare time?
- What kind of support does the company need, if any?
Method:
The flow of the workshop will be:
1. A 20 minutes introduction to the discovery, the scientific background and the practical conduction of the measurement.
2. An open discussion of the two scopes of the workshop, while all input/comments of the individual researchers will be filed and submitted to the participants after the workshop.
3. Conclusions by the chairman.
Follow-up:
The individual participants in the Workshop will have the possibility to be introduced to the technology – and may potentially bring home a measurement device for pilot studies in their own research environment.
References:
Ballegaard S, Karpatschof B, Nyboe J, Trojaborg W, Hansen AM, Magnusson G & Petersen PB. A simple objective marker for stress (accepted for publication in Scand J Clin Lab Invest).
Ballegaard S, Dahl AM, Hess-Thaysen E & Petersen PB. Simple assessment of work health risk factors (submitted for publication).
Ballegaard S, Bank J, Petersen PB & Faber J. Chest bone tenderness as a biological feedback marker in a top performance sport training program (submitted for publication).