Derby Health Management’s Post

This week I diagnosed a new case of #silicosis in the occupational medicine clinic unfortunately. He was an #agate grinder with about 20 years of work experience in this job. This is the 26th case of silicosis in this job that I have found. Agate is a quartz rich mineral that is used for producing jewelry and ornaments materials. Although, it is believed that occupational asthma is the most common #occupationalmedicine lung disease today, and although according to the ILO/WHO goals, we should not see any cases of this disease after 2030, unfortunately we still see new cases of this deadly disease. Certainly, the global Program for the Elimination of Silicosis (#GPES) needs to be reviewed, upgraded and reformed again, which requires teamworking and consensus between experts in occupational medicine, occupational hygiene and employers and employees representatives. In the meantime, emphasizing, follow-up and support of international organizations like #ilo and #WHO to sensitize governments and requiring them for changing the rules and executive instructions are very important and crucial.

Physicians' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice of Occupational Diseases Diagnosis and Occupational History Taking Sehsah, Radwa MD; El-Gilany, Abdel-Hady MD; El-Hadidy, Samah S. MD Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 66(8):p e365-e370, August 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003155 Implementing well-designed integrated occupational medicine curricula and training courses through different medical training levels can enable physicians in various specialties to recognize the work-relatedness of patients' symptoms. This will help in the early diagnosis of occupational diseases, thus decreasing their burden. LEARNING OUTCOMES After reading our study, the reader will be able to: Acknowledge a main problem contributing to the underrecognition of occupational diseases. Identify the significant predictors of physicians' low knowledge, unfavorable attitudes toward occupational diseases, and poor occupational history-taking practice. Recognize and describe the main barriers to adequate occupational history taking among physicians. https://lnkd.in/dduwebtc #JOEM

An interesting question posed to me while lecturing some subspecialist medical doctor in occupational medicine, how should doctors assess the fitness of intersex persons when the protocols and assessments are based on either born male or born female. Why this is relevant is because the Gaussian distribution curves of data for individuals within specific health tests, e.g. lung function, etc., and what is accepted as fit or healthy does not perfectly align between the sexes. What may be an acceptable measure for a female may be a medical concern for a male. This same is true based on age, height and weight; tall people are not judged by the same health stick as short people. There is no value judgment, just a question of whether they can perform safely for themselves, and for others. It often comes down to a case by case basis management question - i.e. Murdoch in the insulin dependent diabetic firefighter landmark case. Sensitivity is required, along with the upholding of their Hippocrates Oath - do no harm. Interesting thought, I'm sure we will eventually get case law on the issue.

IARC researchers will discuss the global #cancer burden due to occupational exposures during @icoh2024. IARC is a 🌍leader in occupational health research. Recent IARC work in this area includes studies on exposure to chrysotile asbestos &☀️UV radiation https://lnkd.in/dbPqUVBM

Study highlights a significant decline in metal-related occupational dermatitis in the UK over a 24 year period. #Dermatitis #OccupationalInjury https://lnkd.in/eZUrZhrn

The COPM & COPD A recent scoping review published in the Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy examined the impact of occupational therapy interventions for individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The authors found that 7/9 studies reviewed reported significant improvements in occupational performance for those who participated in occupational therapy interventions. The COPM was used as the primary measure of occupational performance in 3 of the 9 studies with only one of these demonstrating significant results. The authors suggest this may be related to study methodology (i.e. readministering the COPM within 7 days may not be sufficient to capture change), and the impact of the therapist’s interviewing skills and/or therapeutic relationship with the client. Goubeau G, Mandigout S, Sombardier T, Borel B. Occupational Therapy for Improving Occupational Performance in COPD Patients: A Scoping Review. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2023;90(4):353-362. doi:10.1177/00084174221148037 https://lnkd.in/eSRgQf_K

📣 Have you worked in Australian tunnelling?📣 Have your say about your experience in tunnelling and exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS). This is an opportunity to contribute to further research into silica-related diseases like silicosis in the tunnelling sector.  Researchers from the University of Sydney are looking for people who are interested in taking part in a voluntary survey about your experiences. We’re looking for perspectives from a range of people including employers, workers, and occupational hygienists. The information collected aims to provide researchers with a better understanding of the barriers and enablers to silica-related disease in the tunnelling industry. You can help by following the below link and filling out our on-line survey. We expect that it will take between 20 to 35 minutes to complete the survey. There is more information about the study and the survey on the survey site. Participation in the survey is voluntary and anonymous. You can access the survey here: https://lnkd.in/gVZrHjwg

The Role of Occupational Therapy in the Recognition, Assessment, and Treatment of Presbyvestibulopathy By: Jennifer Hill, OTD, OTR/L, CBIS, CNS; Ellen Hudgins, OTD, OTR/L, ITOT; Sharon Leonard, OTD, OTR/L, CLA Presbyvestibulopathy (PVP), a diagnosis established in 2019, is a vestibular dysfunction or loss related to the aging process characterized by mild bilateral vestibular deficits, chronic dizziness, unsteadiness, gait disturbance, and/or recurrent falls. Given the potential impact of vestibular dysfunction on occupational performance and participation in meaningful activities, occupational therapy’s (OT) role in PVP is evident; however, limited literature exists specific to OT and vestibular dysfunction. This manuscript intends to use evidence relevant to OT to contribute to an understanding of PVP and the potential role of OT in recognizing, assessing, and treating clients with age-related vestibular loss. Download the full-text for free: https://lnkd.in/gEpbfuXu

🌟 Advancing Occupational Health: A Feasibility Study for Developing an Occupational Exposure-Control Intelligence System in Great Britain🌟 We are pleased to share insights from our latest study on the development of an Occupational Exposure Control Intelligence System (OccECIS). For a detailed analysis and to explore the findings, please refer to our comprehensive report: Access the full report here: https://lnkd.in/enGiG3fR Key Objectives of an Occupational Exposure Control Intelligence System 💻 Data-Driven Insights: A system could derive estimates of exposure intensity and prevalence, as well as data on the use of control measures, which can subsequently be used by HSE and other stakeholders. 🛑 Hazard Identification: system could identify and prioritise hazards, sectors, and occupations of concern, allowing for targeted interventions and resource allocation. 👀 Monitoring and Evaluation: A system would facilitate continuous monitoring of intervention effectiveness over time, thereby helping to reduce the future burden of work-related respiratory diseases. The successful implementation of OccECIS relies on collaboration and contributions from across the industry. We believe that developing a prototype system has the potential to transform occupational health practices. #OccupationalHealth #DataDrivenDecisions #HealthAndSafety #Research #AcademicInsights