Utilization of hospital service and its influencing factors among patients with occupational pneumoconiosis / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the utilization of hospital service and its related influencing factors among patients with occupational pneumoconiosis. METHODS: A total of 178 patients with occupational pneumoconiosis were selected as the study subjects using the convenience sampling method. The utilization of hospital service and health-related quality of life of patients with pneumoconiosis and its complications were investigated using the Questionnaire on Pneumoconiosis Patients′ Medical Consultation Behavior and its Influencing Factors and the European Quality of Life Inventory.RESULTS: The one-year hospitalization rate of patients with pneumoconiosis was 57.3%(102/178), and 88.2% of the patients were hospitalized once a year. The median number of hospitalization time in a year was 20.0 days. Visual health scale(VAS) score was(58±15) points. The multiple logistic regression analysis results showed that the utilization of hospital service among patients with employment injury insurance and fund reimbursement provided by the local governmentwere higher than those without employment injury insurancea nd without fund reimbursement provided by the local government(all P<0.05). The utilization of hospital service of patients with problems in usual activities and those unable to perform usual activities were higher than those without any problems(P<0.05). The utilization hospital service of patients with VAS scores <60 was higher than those with VAS scores of 60-<75(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The patients with pneumoconiosis have a relatively overall high level of utilization of hospital service. The employment injury insurance, fund reimbursement provided by the local government, VAS score, and status of physical health are important influencing factors of utilization of hospital service.

Characteristics of occupational musculoskeletal disorders of five sectors in service industry between 2004 and 2013

BACKGROUND: ‘Work related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs)' have been mostly reported in the manufacturing industry but recently the occurrence of industrial injuries has been constantly increasing in the service industry. This research is going to analyze the data about workers' compensation for WRMSDs in five different service sectors and identify characteristics of occupations with the highest approved occupations. METHODS: According to the data released from the Korea Worker's Compensation & Welfare Service, the overview of 12,730 cases of workers' compensation for WRMSDs in five service sectors from 2004 to 2013 is going to be analyzed and the source data is going to be classified by the Korean Standard Classification of Occupations to select the top five occupations that have the highest number of approval. RESULTS: After selecting each five occupations from the service sector that have work related musculoskeletal disorders, the result showed that the occupation with the highest number of approval in the health and social care sector were the early childhood educators, cooks in the school canteens in education services sector, garbage collectors in the sanitation and similar services sector, deliverymen in wholesale and retail, consumer goods repair and building cleaners in general management businesses such as those in building maintenance. The major event observed in the top five occupations was the overexertion and reaction as a cause of WRMSDs. The day when the WRMSDs mostly occurred was on Monday and the most likely time was 10 am. The median days away from work and lost working days are 29–90 days and 0–50 days respectively. The difference in each occupation was observed in year of service, age, and gender. CONCLUSIONS: 83.21% of the approved cases of workers' compensation for WRMSDs occurred in the top 25 occupations in all of the five service sectors, which meant that the approval of workers' compensation is concentrated in specific occupations. This research is going to suggest preventive measures for work related musculoskeletal disorders in the service industry and to help prioritize the preventive measures. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable.

Medical Criteria for Evaluation of Degree of Disability Including Industrial Injury: Orthopedic Surgery

The number of orthopedic patients is increasing according to the increase of traffic and industrial accidents, and there are several approaches to evaluate physical disabilities ensuring after treatment of the injury: The McBride's criteria and the criteria for the evaluation of physical disabilities from industrial injury have been introduced to the medical field. As for the degree of physical disabilities, the McBride's criteria are based on occupations and injured sits, and also amputation, the conditions of joints, and complications of fracture and neural injury. On the other hand, the criteria of physical disability of industrial injuries by the Ministry of Labor in Korea are not satisfactory as compared with the McBride's criteria, and in the future various conditions of joints such as a limited angle of joints should be considered in the criteria of industrial injures.

Quality of Life, Suicide Ideation, and Depressive Symptoms in Industrial Injury Patients / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVE: As the occupational and traffic accidents are increased, patients who are treated for complications of accidents have been increased in recent years. Accidents including industrial injury affect the physical state of the patients and make social, vocational, and economic prob-lems, so that they can affect the whole life of the patients. We performed this study to compare subjective evaluation of quality of life, depressive symptoms, and suicide ideation in both industrial injury patients and control subjects in order to know how industrial injury affect patients in psychiatric aspect. METHOD: The subjects were 169 inpatients who met the inclusion criteria of industrial injury patients and 166 healthy control subjects. All subjects were male and their age is from 19 to 60 years old. Demographic variables, quality of life, depressive symptom, suicide ideation were assessed in subjects. The types of injury and the duration of treatment were assessed in patients. The quality of life was measured using the Korean version of SmithKline Beecham 'Quality of Life' Scale(KvSBQOL), and the suicide ideation was measured using the Scale for Suicide Ideation(SSI), and the depressive symptom was measured using the Dpression scale of Patient Problem Questionaire(PPQ) which were devised from Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorder(PRIME-MD). RESULTS: 1) There were no significant differences in the general demographic variables between industrial injury patients and control subjects. 2) Scores of KvSBQOL were significantly lower, and SSI and Depression scale of PPQ were significantly higher in the industrial injury patients than control subjects(p<0.05). 3) In industrial injury patients, threre was a correlation between the age and the scores of KvSBQOL(p<0.01). The scores of KvSBQOL were lowest in older than 30's, highest in 10's-20's. No significant correlation was recognized between the age and the suicide ideation, the depressive symptoms. Threre was a correlation between the marital status and the scores of KvSBQOL(p<0.01). In unmarried, divorced or separated state, the scores of KvSBQOL were significantly lower than married state. There was a correlation between the duration of treatment and the scores of KvSBQOL, the suicide ideation. As the duration of treatment was longer, the scores of KvSBQOL were significantly lower(p<0.01), and the scores of SSI were significantly higher(p<0.01). 4) In industrial injury patients, there was a significant correlation between the type of injury and the scores of KvSBQOL, the suicide ideation, and the depressive symptoms. The scores of KvSBQOL were highest in the L-spine injury patients, lowest in the C-spine injury and multiple contusion patients(p<0.01). The scores of SSI were higher in the C-spine injury and multiple contusion patients, lowest in the L-spine injury patients(p<0.01). 5) In subjects, there was significant correlation between the scores of KvSBQOL, the scores of SSI, and the Depression scale of PPQ. CONCLUSION: Industrial injury patients feel bad about the quality of life and have more depression and suicide ideation. As a results, psychiatric intervention is needed for prevention of depression and suicide due to industrial injury.

A Status of the Report for Industrial Injuries and Illnesses at an Automobile Related Plant / 대한산업의학회지

The incidence rate of industrial accidents tends to decrease since 1984. It seems to be caused by the active prevention activities for industrial accidents, however, there has been some concern for under-reporting of industrial injuries and illnesses. This study was carried out to assess the status of injury occurrences and industrial accident reports. The author reviewed and analysed the record from an infirmary of an automobile related factory from May 1994 to April 1998. The results obtained were as follows; 1. The number of injuries were 665 spells during four years and incidence rates per year per 100 persons were 39.57(1995), 39.04(1996) and 36.86(1997). The incidence rate of industrial injuries that needed over four days of medical treatment were 4.32 %, 6.51 % and 4.90 %, respectively by the year. 2. The highest incidence rate by age was the 20-29 age group (46.30 %) and by working duration was the under five years group (46.18 %). 3. A total of 665 injuries were occurred by 244 workers. Workers who experienced over five accidents were 41 persons (16.8 %) with 285 injuries and the proportion of total spells was 42.9 %. 4. Workers who experienced over 5 accidents were the younger group, had under five years working duration and worked at the position of frequently using hand tools. 5. Among the 665 spells, the injuries that needed over four days of medical treatment were 93 spells (14.0 %) and the reported proportion as an industrial accident was 8.6 % (eight spells). The results suggest that improvement of the report system is required to enhance the accuracy and reliability of the industrial accident statistics, and analysing all accidents would be necessary to setup the strategy for prevention even if they are minor injuries.