Abstract
Occupational and environmental diseases are underrecognized. Among the barriers to the successful diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of these conditions are inadequate consultative and information resources. We describe the 10-year clinical and training experiences of an academically affiliated referral center that has as its primary goal the identification of work-related and other environmental diseases. The University of Washington Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program has evaluated 6,048 patients in its diagnostic and screening clinics. Among the 2,841 seen in the diagnostic clinics, 1,553 (55%) had a work-related condition. The most prevalent diagnoses included asbestos-related lung disease (n = 603), toxic encephalopathy (n = 160), asthma (n = 119), other specific respiratory conditions (n = 197), carpal tunnel syndrome (n = 86), and dermatitis (n = 82). The clinics serve as a training site for fellows in the specialty training program, primary care internal medicine residents, residents from other medical specialties, and students in industrial hygiene, toxicology, and occupational health nursing. The program serves two additional important functions: providing consultative services to community physicians and training specialists and other physicians in this underserved area of medicine.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Cullen M. R., Cherniack M. G., Rosenstock L. Occupational medicine. (2) N Engl J Med. 1990 Mar 8;322(10):675–683. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199003083221007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cullen M. R., Cherniack M. G. Spectrum of occupational disease in an academic hospital-based referral center in Connecticut from 1979 to 1987. Arch Intern Med. 1989 Jul;149(7):1621–1626. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cullen M. R., Rosenstock L. The challenge of teaching occupational and environmental medicine in internal medicine residencies. Arch Intern Med. 1988 Nov;148(11):2401–2404. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Fahs M. C., Markowitz S. B., Fischer E., Shapiro J., Landrigan P. J. Health costs of occupational disease in New York State. Am J Ind Med. 1989;16(4):437–449. doi: 10.1002/ajim.4700160409. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Markowitz S. B., Fischer E., Fahs M. C., Shapiro J., Landrigan P. J. Occupational disease in New York State: a comprehensive examination. Am J Ind Med. 1989;16(4):417–435. doi: 10.1002/ajim.4700160408. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rosenstock L., Daniell W., Barnhart S., Schwartz D., Demers P. A. Chronic neuropsychological sequelae of occupational exposure to organophosphate insecticides. Am J Ind Med. 1990;18(3):321–325. doi: 10.1002/ajim.4700180313. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rosenstock L., Heyer N. H. Emergence of occupational medical services outside the workplace. Am J Ind Med. 1982;3(2):217–223. doi: 10.1002/ajim.4700030213. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rosenstock L. Hospital-based, academically affiliated occupational medicine clinics. Am J Ind Med. 1984;6(2):155–158. doi: 10.1002/ajim.4700060209. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rosenstock L., Keifer M., Daniell W. E., McConnell R., Claypoole K. Chronic central nervous system effects of acute organophosphate pesticide intoxication. The Pesticide Health Effects Study Group. Lancet. 1991 Jul 27;338(8761):223–227. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(91)90356-t. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rosenstock L., Landrigan P. J. Occupational health: the intersection between clinical medicine and public health. Annu Rev Public Health. 1986;7:337–356. doi: 10.1146/annurev.pu.07.050186.002005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rutstein D. D., Mullan R. J., Frazier T. M., Halperin W. E., Melius J. M., Sestito J. P. Sentinel Health Events (occupational): a basis for physician recognition and public health surveillance. Am J Public Health. 1983 Sep;73(9):1054–1062. doi: 10.2105/ajph.73.9.1054. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]