Development and evaluation of a training program on occupational health research and surveillance in Turkey

OBJECTIVES: To increase knowledge and skills regarding occupational health surveillance and research in professionals. METHODS: Following the ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation), several training modules have been designed and implemented in the course of 2016. Evaluation forms were distributed to 42...

Validation study of a distress screener

Objectives A 3-item screening instrument called the Distress Screener was developed for early identification of distress among employees on sick leave. The Distress Screener consists of three items obtained from the distress subscale of the four-dimensional symptom questionnaire (4DSQ). This study assessed an optimal cut-off point and validated...

Patients absent from work through sickness expect the GP to play a prominent role: Patiënten verwachten bij ziekteverzuim een prominente rol van de huisarts

Background Employees absent from work through sickness often have contact with their GP and their occupational physician (OP). Little is as yet known about what they think of such contacts. We studied the employees' experience with and their opinions about these doctors. Method Unemployment services sent questionnaires to a sample of 5800 sick...

Managing work-related psychological complaints by general practitioners, in coordination with occupational physicians: A pilot Study - Developing and testing a guideline

Increasingly, workers have psychological work-related complaints, endangering their work ability and causing considerable economic losses. Many employees consult their general practitioner (GP). He, however, often pays insufficient attention to work-relatedness or to coordination with occupational physicians (OPs). Appropriate guidelines are...

Improving return-to-work after childbirth: Design of the Mom@Work study, a randomised controlled trial and cohort study

Background. Many women suffer from health problems after giving birth, which can lead to sick leave. About 30% of Dutch workers are on sick leave after maternity leave. Structural contact of supervisors with employees on maternity leave, supported by early medical advice of occupational physicians, may increase the chances of return-to-work...

Economic evaluation of a multi-stage return to work program for workers on sick-leave due to low back pain

Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of a return to work (RTW) program for workers on sick-leave due to low back pain (LBP), comparing a workplace intervention implemented between 2 to 8 weeks of sick-leave with usual care, and a clinical intervention after 8 weeks of sick-leave with usual care. Design: Economic...

Predicting the duration of sickness absence for patients with common mental disorders in occupational health care

Objectives: This study attempted to determine the factors that best predict the duration of absence from work among employees with common mental disorders. Methods: A cohort of 188 employees, of whom 102 were teachers, on sick leave with common mental disorders was followed for 1 year. Only information potentially available to the occupational...

Reliability of a semi-quantitative method for dermal exposure assessment (DREAM)

Valid and reliable semi-quantitative dermal exposure assessment methods for epidemiological research and for occupational hygiene practice, applicable for different chemical agents, are practically nonexistent. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability of a recently developed semi-quantitative dermal exposure assessment method (DREAM)...

Ineffective disability management by doctors is an obstacle for return-to-work: A cohort study on low back pain patients sicklisted for 3-4 months

The aim of this article is to determine obstacles for return-to-work in disability management of low back pain patients sicklisted for three till four months. A cohort of 467 low back pain patients was recruited. A questionnaire was sent to their occupational physicians (OPs) concerning the medical management, obstacles to return-to-work, and...

Dutch occupational physicians and general practitioners wish to improve cooperation

Objectives - To investigate cooperation between occupational physicians (OPs) and general practitioners (GPs). Methods - Literature review; structured interviews; questionnaires sent to randomised samples of OPs (n = 232) and GPs (n = 243). Results - Actual cooperation is poor. However, more than 80% of both groups responded that they want to...

Agreement on medical fitness for a job

Five experienced occupational physicians independently reviewed the uniformly structured, concise records of 180 applicants who had applied for a job in one of three categories. All had undergone a pre-employment medical examination by the Governmental Occupational Health and Safety Service. Agreement was assessed by calculating the percentage...