Medical examinations for fitness to work are undertaken by the specialist and the nonspecialist occupational physicians alike. An assessment done negligently in such a capacity will expose physicians to legal risks, even if they are not specialist occupational physicians. This is not unlike negligent care given in the traditional therapeutic care setting. Much of the case law governing legal di...

Investigation into the frequency of compensation for occupational diseases (ODs) caused by hazardous chemicals revealed an important opportunity for the improvement and further development of occupational health and safety systems in Korea. In response to concerns after outbreaks of disease due to chemical exposure, specific criteria for recognition of ODs were established and included in the E...

BACKGROUND Occupational health and pollution prevention, although conceptually linked by the common goals of preventing exposure to toxic materials and lowering risk functions, have been largely confined to separate patterns of practice and professional development. Some analysts see this as a missed opportunity for synergy and raising the level of protection afforded to both the worker and the...

BACKGROUND Back pain has long been identified as a major occupational health issue, but there are few prevalence studies on thoracic spine pain (TSP). The epidemiological surveillance of musculoskeletal disorders implemented in 2002 by the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance in the Pays de la Loire region provided the opportunity to study the prevalence of TSP in a large, representa...

There is considerable evidence that the goal of health care has moved beyond mere survival to positive health. The surgeon general's report emphasized the necessity to modify social environments by reducing risk-taking behaviors and life-styles. The increased attention the American people now pay to exercise, nutrition, environmental health, and occupational safety reveals the interest and conc...

This paper presents the findings of a qualitative case study of the quality of life of three women with developmental disabilities. In-depth interview data were collected from the women who had previously worked in a sheltered workshop environment and were, at the time of study, working in supported employment in the community. Interviews were also conducted with each woman's job coach and a fa...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this integrative literature review was to summarize and analyze the methods used to develop critical pathways. METHOD Relevant articles published in occupational therapy, physical therapy, nursing, and medical journals between 1992 and 1997 were reviewed to extract various methods and the steps or criteria used for each method. RESULTS Nine approaches to critical pa...

This paper gives an overview of the theory of participatory ergonomics interventions and summary examples from a range of industries, including health care, military, manufacturing, production and processing, services, construction and transport. The definition of participatory approaches includes interventions at macro (organizational, systems) levels as well as micro (individual), where worke...

BACKGROUND The severity of the injury is the most important factor to return to work (RTW) when it comes to hand injuries. The purpose of our study is to examine the relationship between the initial anatomic severity, evaluated by the Hand Injury Severity Scoring (HISS) system, and probability of RTW in occupational hand injured patients. METHODS In this retrospective cohort study, 140 patien...