Engaged communication of environmental health science: Processes and outcomes of urban academic-community partnerships.

Those who bear the greatest environmental burdens often have the least access to information, and explanations for engaging communities to develop solutions are lacking. We describe, and use a case study to depict, a participatory process of urban academic and community members to co-produce educational and communication tools. Over five years, we interfaced with 763 individuals at eleven events and three times that (n=2,273) through attendees' networks at 109 small group events using snowball methods. The resulting communication tools, paired resources, and mobile dissemination were responsive to residents' circumstances and enhanced their ability to access health protecting information and resources.

Differential treatment of occupational disease v occupational injury by workers' compensation in Washington State.

Washington State's workers' compensation claims filed in 1984 and followed through 1988 contained 11,356 claims for occupational disease and 178,927 claims for occupational injury. There was a higher rate of rejection (18% v 4%) and resource utilization (14% v 5%) for occupational disease when compared to occupational injury. The factors most predictive of rejection included the specific disease category and the provider frequency of filing. Development of diagnostic guidelines would aid health providers in identifying and properly characterizing occupational diseases.