Compensation for Work-Related Cerebrocardiovascular Diseases

The purpose of this study was to discuss the history of, and concerns regarding, the newly amended criteria of occupational cerebrovascular or cardiovascular diseases (CCVDs). Since the early 1990s, CCVDs have been the second most common occupational disease, despite fluctuations in their criteria. The first issue was the deletion of cerebral hemorrhage on duty as a recognized occupational disease in 2008. The second issue was the obscurity regarding definitions of an acute stressful event (within 24 hr before disease occurrence), short-term overwork (within 1 week), and chronic overwork (for 3 or more months). In this amendment, chronic overwork was defined as work exceeding 60 hr per week. If the average number of weekly working hours does not exceed 60 hr, night work, physical or psychological workload, or other risk factors should be considered for the recognition of occupational CCVDs. However, these newly amended criteria still have a few limitations, considering that there is research evidence for the occurrence of disease in those working fewer than 60 hr per week, and other risk factors, particularly night work, are underestimated in these criteria. Thus, we suggest that these concerns be actively considered during future amendment and approval processes.

Work-related Cerebro-Cardiovascular Diseases in Korea

Cerebro-cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of compensable occupational diseases in Korea as in Japan or Taiwan. However, most countries accept only cardiovascular diseases (ischemic heart diseases) as compensable occupational diseases if any, but not cerebrovascular diseases. Korea has a prescribed list of compensable occupational diseases. CVD was not included in the list until 1993. In the early 1990s, a case of cerebral infarction was accepted as occupational disease by the Supreme Court. The decision was based on the concept that workers' compensation system is one of the social security systems. In 1994, the government has established a diagnostic criterion of CVD. The crude rate of compensated cerebrovascular disease decreased by 60.0% from 18.5 in 2003 to 7.4 in 2008 per 100,000 workers, and that of compensated coronary heart disease decreased by 60.5% from 3.8 in 2003 to 1.5 in 2008 per 100,000 workers. The compensated cases of CVD dramatically increased and reached its peak in 2003. Since many preventive activities were performed by the government and employers, the compensated cases have slowly decreased since 2003 and sharply decreased after 2008 when the diagnostic criterion was amended. The strategic approach is needed essentially because CVDs are common, serious and preventable diseases which lead to economic burden.

A oportunidade de se valorizar a eficiencia no atendimento de pacientes com doenças cerebrovasculares / The opportunity of valorize the efficiency on attendance of patients with cerebrovascular diseases

Este artigo considera a importância de melhores decisöes médicas nos cuidados de pacientes com doenças cerebrovasculares que incluam além de medidas eficientes (envolvendo comparaçäo de custos e benefícios entre programas com o melhor uso dos recursos), também medidas eficazes e efetivas em associaçäo a disponibilidade de recursos humanos e materiais. Igualmente, é enfatizada a oportunidade deste tipo de preocupaçäo principalmente pelos médicos, dentre todos os profissionais de saúde, em funçäo da escassez de recursos aliada ao gradual aumento da cobertura de atendimento, disponibilidade tecnológica e envelhecimento da populaçäo, fato de especial importância no caso das DCV