Abstract

Introduction and Aim: Referred to the relevant institutions and reported levels of occupational diseases in Turkey are far below than expected. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the approach of physicians towards occupational diseases. Material and Method: A questionnaire of 18 questions was applied to physicians who worked in Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital Siteler Health Center in the last 1 year. Results: 53.3% of physicians stated that while they were educated on occupational diseases, only one of the trained physicians thought this training was sufficient. While 73.3% of the physicians stated that they did not make any pre-diagnosis of any occupational disease, all of the physicians did not report any occupational disease. 63.3% of physicians stated that they had difficulty in identifying occupational diseases as the most common reason why occupational diseases are underreported. Physicians were asked the question “how competent and equipped do you feel about occupational disease management?” and were asked to give a score between 0-10. 80% of the physicians rated themselves 5 points or less. Conclusion: Physicians do not feel sufficient about occupational diseases and they do not find the training enough. It is understood that there are deficiencies in the physicians’ approach to occupational diseases in their daily practice.

Authors and Affiliations