A New Disability Rating Method according to the Job Using the Korean Academy of Medical Science Disability Guideline

The purpose of this study was to develop a disability rating scale according to job classification using the Korean Academy of Medical Society (KAMS) guidelines. All jobs were categorized based on their level of physical activity and professional skills. The KAMS guidelines were used for the impairment rating. We modified the California Schedule for rating permanent disabilities. The differences were plotted to compare between the impairment rate and the job-adjusted disability rate. The KAMS job-adjusted disability rates were then compared to the McBride and workers' compensation rates. A total of 1,206 occupations were classified into 44 groups. The occupational disability indexes were rated on a scale of 1 to 7. The differences in the McBride disability rates varied inconsistently from 0% to 35%, while the differences in the KAMS disability rates were between 0% and 18%. The KAMS disability rates were slightly higher than the McBride disability rates for the upper extremities, but were lower for the lower extremities and internal organs. This is the first Korean job-adjusted disability rating method. There are several limitations, but its impairment rating is more scientific and reflects the current Korean occupational environment.

Comparison of Cardiovascular Disease Characteristics According to the Employment Status among Emergency Department Patients / 대한산업의학회지

OBJECTIVES: The object of this study was to indentify characteristics of cardiovascular disease in the employed population in comparson with the non-employed group. METHODS: The study subjects were patients aged 20~65 from 3 university based hospital emergency centers and a structured questionnaire were used for comparing the characteristics of cardiovascular disease according to employment status. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the association between employment status and cardiovascular disease risk factors. RESULTS: Among the patients, 573 people were employed (482 males, 91 females) and 251 were non-employed (117 males, 134 females). Compared to the non-employed group, the employed group was distinctive in that it contained patients of younger age, had a male dominant gender distribution, and a higher proportion of smoking and drinking patients. The employed group was less likely to be previously-diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension, chronic renal failure, cardiovascular disease, or cerebrovascular disease. The employed group was generally more stressed out but there was no significant differences in sleeping time. Infarction was more frequent in the employed group, but hemorrhage was more frequent in the non-employed group. According to the multivariate logistic regression analysis results, the odds ratio of drinking and stress was 1.89(95% CI: 1.25~2.86) and 2.68(95% CI: 1.80~3.99) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Infarction was more frequent in the employed group. Drinking and stress were also more frequent in the employed group. The results of this study don't necessarily mean that stress and drinking are more important than other risk factors but, it means stress and drinking control are more important in the employed group compared to the non-employed group.