Challenges to occupational medicine in view of the problem of work-related diseases and the aging of workforce. Directions for further development and intentional changes in preventive care of employees in Poland
Journal Title: Medycyna Pracy - Year 2016, Vol 67, Issue 5
Abstract
The system of occupational health care in Poland, based on occupational medicine service, takes care of almost 12.5 million employees subjected to over 4.5 million obligatory periodic medical check ups. This form of providing prophylactic care comes down to examinations dictated by legal regulations, whose scope is not oriented towards a comprehensive workers’ health assessment, but to the examination of the systems and organs critical to work-related dangers. Simultaneously, epidemiological data indicate a large number of chronic diseases, which may influence the professional activity, like hypertension or diabetes and a high percentage of patients not aware of their illness. Since patients participating in obligatory examinations usually feel healthy and do not use health care services on a daily basis, an occupational medicine physician has a unique opportunity to detect health disorders at an early stage, which can prevent the development of health complications affecting the condition of the patient, limiting their professional activity, but also causing additional costs of the health care system. The authors have proven the need to involve occupational medicine services in the prevention of chronic diseases and the need to introduce additional sources of financing for procedures enabling early detection of diseases the patient may not be aware of or control of the effectiveness of already diagnosed illnesses. They addressed the need to change the current legal form of establishing and announcing the range of examinations and directives for certifying the lack or presence of health contraindications to work to the specified and updated standards prepared by scientific research institutes and occupational medicine societies. Med Pr 2016;67(5):691–700
Authors and Affiliations
Andrzej Marcinkiewicz, Jolanta Walusiak-Skorupa, Marta Wiszniewska, Marcin Rybacki, Wojciech Hanke, Konrad Rydzyński
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP282782
- DOI 10.13075/mp.5893.00416
- Views 135
- Downloads 0
ANALYSIS OF NOTIFICATIONS OF SUSPICIONS OF DISEASES CAUSED BY THE WAY THE JOB IS PERFORMED IN THE CONTEXT OF PATHOLOGIES REGARDED AS OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES[b][/b]
[b]Background:[/b] In this report the increase in the number of notifications of suspicions of diseases caused by the way the job is performed, observed recently in the Regional Center of Occupational Medicine in Wrocław...
Challenges to occupational medicine in view of the problem of work-related diseases and the aging of workforce. Directions for further development and intentional changes in preventive care of employees in Poland
The system of occupational health care in Poland, based on occupational medicine service, takes care of almost 12.5 million employees subjected to over 4.5 million obligatory periodic medical check ups. This form of prov...
Potential impact of colors of filters used in sunglasses on the melatonin suppression process
Background: In this article the methods for determining spectral transmittance of optical radiation in the visible waveband range through selected materials used as optical filters against solar glare were described. Mat...
ZACHOWANIA PROZDROWOTNE NAUCZYCIELI I INNYCH PRACOWNIKÓW SZKOŁY
Wprowadzenie: Podejmowanie zachowań prozdrowotnych jest wyrazem dbałości o zdrowie. Celem pracy była analiza częstości podejmowania wybranych zachowań prozdrowotnych oraz niepodejmowania zachowań ryzykownych przez nauczy...
EXPOSURE OF VENTILATION SYSTEM CLEANING WORKERSTO HARMFUL MICROBIOLOGICAL AGENTS
Background: Regular inspection of the cleanliness of the ventilation systems, as well as their periodic cleaning and disinfection, if necessary, are the main factors of the proper maintenance of each system. Performing m...