Occupational Medicine

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Occupational Medicine

• Recognized Specialty Since 1949
• Combines Clinical Skills With Toxicology,
  Epidemiology, Safety, Rehabilitation, and
  Business Operations
• Tightrope Walker Responsible to Patients as
  well as Business.

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Occupational Health Services

• Evaluation and Treatment for Medical Conditions
• Emergency Medical Response
• Medical Surveillance
• Disease Management
• Fitness and Wellness
• Work-Life Management

• Disability Management and Accommodation
• Employee Assistance and Advocacy
• Absence Management
• Workers Compensation
• Training
• Records Management
• Information Privacy

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Why a Special Practice Model?

• Occupational Diseases are Hard to Distinguish
  From Ones Unrelated to the Workplace
• Economic Implications of Maintaining a Healthy
  Workforce are Large

Source USA Today
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Building the Occupational Health Program

• The Goal is to Enable Employees to Safely Attend
  Work and Successfully Perform Their Tasks Without
  Interference from Health Based Issues.
• Consideration Must be Given to Work Processes and
  How They Impact Employees, Their Contacts, and
  The Environment.
• If an Employee is Absent, Facilitate the Receipt
  of Effective and Efficient Interventions by
  Employees.
• Set a Goal of Return to Work as Soon as
  Practicable.

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How Do We Know What to Address?

• Remain Vigilant For Activity or Incident Trends,
  Changes in People, Worksites, or Regulatory
  Requirements.
• Situational Evaluation Should Occur Early.
• Involves Management, Safety, Human Resources,
  Industrial Hygiene, Engineering, and OH Personnel
• Decisions Must Balance the Individuals Rights
  and Needs With The Rights and Needs of the
  Employer

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Employee Evaluations

• Entrance (Baseline) Examinations
• Can They Physically do the Job?
• Do They Have Medical Conditions Impacted by the
  Jobs Requirements?
• Do They Need Accommodation?
• Periodic Voluntary Screening
• Fitness for Duty (Specific Cause)
• Examinations for Specific Exposures
• Evaluations in Conjunction With Accommodation or
  for Disputed Documentation

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Emergency Medical Response

• Activity is More Complex Than People Think
• Why Dont You Buy an Ambulance and Cut Down on
  the Waiting Time?
• EMS Agency
• Strict Certification Requirements
• Specified Equipment and Treatment Protocols
• Required Continuing Education
• Physician Oversight of Operations
• Volunteers from Employee Population
• Tangible and Intangible Benefits

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What About Absences?

• Work Within Company Policies, Any Regulatory
  Requirements, and Privacy Program
• Use Competent and Objective Personnel For
  Evaluation and Management
• Obtain Optimum Intervention for Individual and
  Coordinate With Others in Worksite
• Closely Manage Return to Work
• Monitor Outcomes and Prevention Efforts Both
  During Intervention and After Full Return To Work
  (Disease Management)

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Can We Really Assist Employees?

• An Important OH Service is Provision of Employee
  Assistance and WorkLife Enhancement Programs
• A Broad Array of Services Should be Provided to
  Employees and Members of Their Households
• Utilization Rates Should be Tracked Against the
  National Average for Similar Industries
• It is Not Enough to Offer Services. Due to Human
  Inertia, Assistance Programs Must be Marketed
• Assistance Also Includes Advocacy With Non-Work
  Related Health Issues

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Advocacy Services
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