RESUMEN
ABSTRACT: Clinical practices that provide workers' compensation care and other services related to managing work-related illnesses and injuries have long been challenged in receiving appropriate payment for their professional work. The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) has provided excellent guidelines for coding and billing via its various documents that have been provided over the years. However, despite these guidelines, payors have been slow to adopt occupational specific coding guidelines to justify higher professional payment. With the move to a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)-sponsored time-based coding option in 2011, the occupational and environmental medicine (OEM) clinics have been able to finally not only document but recoup the value of those services that go beyond the simple patient interface, being able to capture those activities that truly provide high value in the management of workers' medical issues.
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Codificación Clínica , Indemnización para Trabajadores , Indemnización para Trabajadores/economía , Humanos , Estados Unidos , Codificación Clínica/normas , Medicina del Trabajo , Guías de Práctica Clínica como Asunto , Documentación/normas , Enfermedades Profesionales/terapia , Enfermedades Profesionales/economía , Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. , Traumatismos Ocupacionales/terapia , Traumatismos Ocupacionales/economíaRESUMEN
The health sector is one of the components of development, social welfare and economic growth. The purpose of this study was to develop an economic evaluation model of the environmental and health costs of occupational diseases by hybrid approach. To achieve the study goal, a taxonomy of economic evaluation model of the environmental and health costs of occupational diseases has been developed. The Delphi method was used to identify health and environmental criteria and the analytic network process (ANP) method was used to weigh the sub-criteria. Finally, health and environmental cost were estimated based on the available information. Naft Subspecialty Hospital in Tehran, Iran (NSHT), was selected as the place of case study. In this study, eight and eleven sub-criteria were identified in the health and environmental sector, respectively. The ANP results indicated that the medicine and medical equipment cost criteria with a weight of 0.312 in the Medical sector, and the special and infectious waste cost criteria with a weight of 0.085 in the environmental sector were the most significant cost criteria in NSHT. Furthermore, the parametric model findings indicated that 99.84 and 0.16% of the total costs are associated with health and environmental costs, respectively. The findings indicated that 61.3% of the costs of the health sector were associated with the two sectors of medicine and medical equipment and the cost-of-service personnel, and 91.7% of the costs of the environmental sector are associated with wastewater treatment and the cost of electricity consumption. This study tried to present a quantitative model of the health and environmental costs of NSHT. Implemention of this integrated model can be a practical and effective step in allocating resources and prioritize interventions.
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Enfermedades Profesionales , Humanos , Irán , Enfermedades Profesionales/economía , Industria del Petróleo y Gas/economía , Costos de la Atención en Salud , Modelos Económicos , Salud Laboral/economía , Análisis Costo-BeneficioRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: To determine the national burden of working time lost to occupational injury and disease in Australia compensable by workers' compensation schemes; to characterise the distribution of time lost by age, sex, and injury and disease type. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective population-based study; analysis of National Dataset for Compensation-based Statistics (NDS) data. SETTING, PARTICIPANTS: Granted workers' compensation claims by people aged 15-100 years including payment of wage replacement benefits for time off work lodged in Australia, 1 July 2012 - 30 June 2017. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Working years lost (WYL) per annum (total number of years of wage replacement benefits paid to injured and ill workers), overall and by sex, age, and injury and disease type; WYL per 10 000 fulltime equivalent (FTE) years worked. RESULTS: A total of 755 330 eligible claims with complete data for analysis variables by people aged 15-100 years were identified, for compensable injuries and disease that led to 41 194 (95% confidence interval [CI], 41 020-41 368) WYL/year. The annual WYL number and rate were each higher for men (25 367 [95% CI, 25 230-25 503] WYL/year; 42.6 [95% CI, 42.1-43.1] WYL/10 000 FTE years) than for women (15 827 [95% CI, 15 720-15 935] WYL/year; 38.8 [95% CI, 38.2-39.4] WYL/10 000 FTE years). Workers aged 45-100 years made 66 742 claims per year (44.1% of all claims) but incurred 21 763 WYL/year (52.8% of all WYL). Traumatic joint and muscle injuries led to 16 494 WYL/year (40.0% of all WYL), musculoskeletal disorders to 8547 WYL/year (20.7%), mental health conditions to 5361 WYL/year (13.0%), fractures to 4276 WYL/year (10.4%), and wounds and lacerations to 3449 WYL/year (8.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Occupational injury and disease covered by workers' compensation result in lost working time in Australia equivalent to more than 41 000 fulltime jobs. Distribution of the burden reflects the greater labour force participation of men, slower recovery of older workers, and the impact of common occupational injuries and diseases. Population-based monitoring of lost working time could support effective occupational health surveillance and allocation of resources for protecting the health of Australian workers.
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Enfermedades Profesionales , Traumatismos Ocupacionales , Indemnización para Trabajadores , Humanos , Indemnización para Trabajadores/estadística & datos numéricos , Masculino , Adulto , Persona de Mediana Edad , Estudios Retrospectivos , Femenino , Australia/epidemiología , Adolescente , Traumatismos Ocupacionales/epidemiología , Traumatismos Ocupacionales/economía , Anciano , Adulto Joven , Enfermedades Profesionales/epidemiología , Enfermedades Profesionales/economía , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Costo de Enfermedad , Ausencia por Enfermedad/estadística & datos numéricos , Ausencia por Enfermedad/economíaRESUMEN
Objective: To investigate the current status of disease burden and its influencing factors among welder's pneumoconiosis patients, and provide scientific basis for taking targeted intervention measures. Methods: From June 2022 to June 2023, the patients with welder's pneumoconiosis in Jiangsu Province were selected from 1956 to 2020 as the research objects, and disability adjusted life years (DALY) were used as the comprehensive index to study the disease burden. The direct and indirect economic losses caused by the diseases were calculated, and the factors affecting the disease burden were discussed by multiple linear regression method. Results: A total of 974 cases of welder's pneumoconiosis were reported in Jiangsu Province, the cumulative loss of DALY was 6300.73 person-years, and the per capita loss was 6.47 person-years. Among them, the healthy life years lost due to disability (YLD) was 6156.50 person-years (97.71%) , and the healthy life years lost due to premature death (YLL) was 144.23 person-years (2.29%) . Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the main factors affecting DALY were disability grade, diagnostic age, pneumoconiosis grade and length of dust exposure (P<0.05) . The total economic loss caused by 974 welder's pneumoconiosis patients was 1831838160.18 yuan, and the per capita loss was 1880737.33 yuan. Among them, the direct economic loss was 970917563.75 yuan (53.00%) , and the indirect economic loss was 860920596.43 yuan (47.00%) . Conclusion: Welder's pneumoconiosis causes serious disease burden to patients, and at the same time causes huge economic losses to individuals and society, which seriously hinders the development of society. Taking effective control measures to prevent the incidence of welder's pneumoconiosis is the key to reduce the disease burden.
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Neumoconiosis , Humanos , Neumoconiosis/epidemiología , Neumoconiosis/economía , China/epidemiología , Masculino , Costo de Enfermedad , Soldadura , Años de Vida Ajustados por Discapacidad , Persona de Mediana Edad , Enfermedades Profesionales/epidemiología , Enfermedades Profesionales/economía , Femenino , Exposición Profesional , AdultoRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Adjustment for race is discouraged in lung-function testing, but the implications of adopting race-neutral equations have not been comprehensively quantified. METHODS: We obtained longitudinal data from 369,077 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, U.K. Biobank, the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, and the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. Using these data, we compared the race-based 2012 Global Lung Function Initiative (GLI-2012) equations with race-neutral equations introduced in 2022 (GLI-Global). Evaluated outcomes included national projections of clinical, occupational, and financial reclassifications; individual lung-allocation scores for transplantation priority; and concordance statistics (C statistics) for clinical prediction tasks. RESULTS: Among the 249 million persons in the United States between 6 and 79 years of age who are able to produce high-quality spirometric results, the use of GLI-Global equations may reclassify ventilatory impairment for 12.5 million persons, medical impairment ratings for 8.16 million, occupational eligibility for 2.28 million, grading of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for 2.05 million, and military disability compensation for 413,000. These potential changes differed according to race; for example, classifications of nonobstructive ventilatory impairment may change dramatically, increasing 141% (95% confidence interval [CI], 113 to 169) among Black persons and decreasing 69% (95% CI, 63 to 74) among White persons. Annual disability payments may increase by more than $1 billion among Black veterans and decrease by $0.5 billion among White veterans. GLI-2012 and GLI-Global equations had similar discriminative accuracy with regard to respiratory symptoms, health care utilization, new-onset disease, death from any cause, death related to respiratory disease, and death among persons on a transplant waiting list, with differences in C statistics ranging from -0.008 to 0.011. CONCLUSIONS: The use of race-based and race-neutral equations generated similarly accurate predictions of respiratory outcomes but assigned different disease classifications, occupational eligibility, and disability compensation for millions of persons, with effects diverging according to race. (Funded by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.).
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Pruebas de Función Respiratoria , Insuficiencia Respiratoria , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Niño , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Adulto Joven , Enfermedades Pulmonares/diagnóstico , Enfermedades Pulmonares/economía , Enfermedades Pulmonares/etnología , Enfermedades Pulmonares/terapia , Trasplante de Pulmón/estadística & datos numéricos , Encuestas Nutricionales/estadística & datos numéricos , Enfermedad Pulmonar Obstructiva Crónica/diagnóstico , Enfermedad Pulmonar Obstructiva Crónica/economía , Enfermedad Pulmonar Obstructiva Crónica/etnología , Enfermedad Pulmonar Obstructiva Crónica/terapia , Grupos Raciales , Pruebas de Función Respiratoria/clasificación , Pruebas de Función Respiratoria/economía , Pruebas de Función Respiratoria/normas , Espirometría , Estados Unidos/epidemiología , Insuficiencia Respiratoria/diagnóstico , Insuficiencia Respiratoria/economía , Insuficiencia Respiratoria/etnología , Insuficiencia Respiratoria/terapia , Negro o Afroamericano/estadística & datos numéricos , Blanco/estadística & datos numéricos , Evaluación de la Discapacidad , Ayuda a Lisiados de Guerra/clasificación , Ayuda a Lisiados de Guerra/economía , Ayuda a Lisiados de Guerra/estadística & datos numéricos , Personas con Discapacidad/clasificación , Personas con Discapacidad/estadística & datos numéricos , Enfermedades Profesionales/diagnóstico , Enfermedades Profesionales/economía , Enfermedades Profesionales/etnología , Financiación Gubernamental/economía , Financiación Gubernamental/estadística & datos numéricosRESUMEN
Little is known about the burden of silicosis in Africa, despite extensive mining and construction operations in the region putting numerous people at risk. The implementation experience and costs of case-finding for occupational lung disease in resource-limited settings are also currently unknown. We describe the first-ever silicosis case-finding project in rural Rwanda using chest X-ray, symptom questionnaires, and spirometry. This was coupled with routine noncommunicable disease case-finding for diabetes and hypertension. We performed an ingredient-based analysis of the costs of all case-finding activities. In 2022, over 25 days, 1,032 mine workers were included in the program, of which 1,014 (98.3%) completed silicosis case-finding activities. The total cost of the program was estimated to be US$38,656, representing a cost of US$37.49 per person. We conclude that conducting large-scale occupational lung disease case-finding is clinically and economically feasible in resource-limited settings and can be effectively integrated with routine noncommunicable disease case-finding.
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Población Rural , Silicosis , Humanos , Silicosis/economía , Rwanda , Masculino , Minería/economía , Costos y Análisis de Costo , Adulto , Mineros , Espirometría , Persona de Mediana Edad , Enfermedades Profesionales/economía , Encuestas y CuestionariosRESUMEN
La infranotificación de enfermedades profesionales (EEPP) es un problema social y económico, pues repercute en el bienestar del trabajador afectado, y en las estimaciones presupuestarias que se planifican anualmente para la gestión de los servicios sanitarios. Los costes asistenciales fueron evaluados en una muestra de 13 casos de EEPP con resolución positiva por el Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social atendidos en el Parc de Salut Mar (Barcelona) entre 2014 y 2021. El coste de la asistencia generada del total de casos fue de 474.859 , con un coste medio de 36.528 por paciente. Por grupo diagnóstico, el coste más alto lo originaron los casos de cánceres que supusieron el 79% del gasto total (375.068 ). Los hallazgos del estudio reflejan el impacto económico que supone la asistencia sanitaria prestada por un hospital público a pacientes con una EEPP reconocida en el INSS (AU)
Underreporting of occupational diseases (OD) is a social and economic problem, because it has negative consequences for both the welfare of the affected workers and its impact on budgetary planning for the management of health services. We evaluated the healthcare costs of a sample of 13 cases of OD treated at a public hospital in Barcelona between 2014 and 2021, and officially accepted by the National Institute of Social Security (INSS). The total cost of care was 474,859, with an average cost of 36,528 per patient. By diagnostic group, the highest costs were associated with cancer cases, accounting for 79% of the total (375,068). The findings of this study reflect the economic impact of health care provided by a public hospital to patients with an OD recognized by the INSS (AU)
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Humanos , Costos de la Atención en Salud , Enfermedades Profesionales/economía , Seguridad Social , EspañaRESUMEN
Intestinal parasites are responsible for one of the major health problems like food contamination with socioeconomic effects in the world with a prevalence rate of 30-60%, in developing countries that lie within tropical and subtropical areas. They pose a reasonable public health burden, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, including Ethiopia. Globally, due to intestinal parasitic infections, around 3.5 billion people are affected and more than 200,000 deaths are reported annually. Around 50000 deaths yearly are caused by intestinal parasites in Ethiopia. As such, intestinal parasites perceived global and local burdens to various countries. The risk of food contamination depends largely on the health status of the food handlers, their hygiene, knowledge, and practice of food hygiene. Food handlers with poor personal hygiene and sanitation conditions are the major potential sources of intestinal helminthes and protozoa worldwide. The proposed study was aimed at evaluating prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and their associated factors among food handlers working in selected catering establishments. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Bule Hora Town from March to April 2020. A total of 136 catering establishments were selected using a systematic sampling technique. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 20. The prevalence of intestinal parasites in this study was 46.3%. Entamoeba histolytica was the most predominant parasite (33.3%, i.e., 21/63) while Giardia lamblia was the least (11.1%, i.e., 7/63). Consumption of vended or borehole water and hygienic practices such as hand washing before eating, after using toilet, before cooking and trimming of finger nail and wearing proper working clothes and shoes were statistically significant with intestinal parasitic infection (P < 0.05). Generally, the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection in this study was high and contributed by low socioeconomic status and poor environmental and personal hygiene. Measures including education on personal hygiene, environmental sanitation, drinking water supply, regular medical checkups, and treatment should be taken into account to reduce the prevalence of intestinal parasites.
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Manipulación de Alimentos/métodos , Desinfección de las Manos/métodos , Parasitosis Intestinales/epidemiología , Enfermedades Profesionales/epidemiología , Enfermedades Profesionales/parasitología , Adolescente , Adulto , Animales , Estudios Transversales , Entamoeba histolytica/aislamiento & purificación , Entamebiasis/complicaciones , Entamebiasis/parasitología , Etiopía/epidemiología , Heces/parasitología , Femenino , Giardia lamblia/aislamiento & purificación , Giardiasis/complicaciones , Giardiasis/parasitología , Humanos , Higiene , Parasitosis Intestinales/diagnóstico , Parasitosis Intestinales/economía , Parasitosis Intestinales/parasitología , Masculino , Enfermedades Profesionales/diagnóstico , Enfermedades Profesionales/economía , Exposición Profesional , Prevalencia , Factores de Riesgo , Factores Socioeconómicos , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted both that frontline workers face a new set of personal hazards in health care settings and that there are not well-established recommendations to address the broader risks to these workers and their families. Particularly vulnerable households include dual health care professional households, single-parent health care professional households, and households with health care professionals responsible for a high-risk family member (i.e., an older adult or immunocompromised person). While the demographics of these households are heterogeneous, it is expected that the professional and personal concerns specific to COVID-19 will be similar. These concerns include family safety, balancing full-time work with home-based schooling for children, the looming threat of illness to 1 or both partners, the potential of infecting high-risk family members, and the challenges of planning for the future during uncertain times. To elucidate these concerns in their department, the authors sought input from colleagues in dual health care professional households through an open-ended email communication. Respondents expressed a range of concerns centered on balancing professional and family responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this commentary, the authors propose several recommendations in the areas of support networks, leadership and culture, and operations and logistics that health care institutions can adopt to minimize the burden on these vulnerable households during states of emergency. The successful implementation of these recommendations hinges on creating a work environment in which all health care providers feel comfortable voicing their concerns.
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COVID-19/prevención & control , Familia , Personal de Salud , Enfermedades Profesionales/prevención & control , Actitud del Personal de Salud , COVID-19/economía , COVID-19/psicología , COVID-19/transmisión , Humanos , Enfermedades Profesionales/economía , Enfermedades Profesionales/psicología , Seguridad , Apoyo Social , Estados Unidos , Poblaciones Vulnerables , Equilibrio entre Vida Personal y LaboralRESUMEN
Overexertion is a leading cause of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among construction workers. Nearly 90% of construction jobs require manual handling of materials for approximately one half of the worker's time (1). In 2015, overexertion from lifting and lowering materials caused 30% of WMSDs among construction workers; overexertion involving pushing, pulling, holding, carrying, and catching materials caused an additional 37% of WMSDs (1). This study examined the rate and cost of WMSD claims from overexertion among Ohio construction workers during 2007-2017. Workers' compensation claims related to overexertion that were submitted to the Ohio Bureau of Worker's Compensation (OHBWC) by workers in the construction industry for injuries and illnesses occurring during 2007-2017 were analyzed. Rates and costs of allowed claims were measured by age group. Workers aged 35-44 years experienced the highest claim rate: 63 per 10,000 full-time employees (FTEs) for WMSDs from overexertion. However, claims by workers aged 45-54 years and 55-64 years were more costly on average and resulted in more days away from work. Ergonomic design improvements and interventions are needed to ensure that the majority of construction workers can safely perform jobs throughout their careers. Age-specific WMSD prevention and risk communication efforts also might be helpful.
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Industria de la Construcción , Enfermedades Musculoesqueléticas/economía , Enfermedades Profesionales/economía , Traumatismos Ocupacionales/economía , Indemnización para Trabajadores/estadística & datos numéricos , Adolescente , Adulto , Costos y Análisis de Costo , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Enfermedades Musculoesqueléticas/epidemiología , Enfermedades Profesionales/epidemiología , Traumatismos Ocupacionales/epidemiología , Ohio/epidemiología , Esfuerzo Físico , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
In a few situations, the consequences secondary to a carcinological pathology require an assessment of damages for compensatory purposes. This is particularly the case when liable parties have been found to be at cause of the disease: occupational pathologies in the case of inexcusable employer's fault, exposure to a radioactive risk, for example in the context of full compensation for damages suffered by the victims of nuclear experiments performed by France, or lastly, in the after-effects of late diagnosis. This article does not discuss the imputability of cancer pathologies to an event, but it proposes an adaptation of methods for assessing damages, in an attempt to provide full compensation for damages.
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Compensación y Reparación/legislación & jurisprudencia , Responsabilidad Legal , Neoplasias , Enfermedades Profesionales , Causalidad , Evaluación de la Discapacidad , Efectos Colaterales y Reacciones Adversas Relacionados con Medicamentos , Estética , Francia , Experimentación Humana/legislación & jurisprudencia , Humanos , Discapacidades para el Aprendizaje/etiología , Responsabilidad Legal/economía , Neoplasias/economía , Neoplasias/etiología , Neoplasias/psicología , Neoplasias/terapia , Neoplasias Inducidas por Radiación/economía , Neoplasias Inducidas por Radiación/etiología , Enfermedades Profesionales/economía , Enfermedades Profesionales/etiología , Dolor , Complicaciones Posoperatorias , Traumatismos por Radiación/economía , Traumatismos por Radiación/etiología , Radioterapia/efectos adversos , Disfunciones Sexuales Fisiológicas/etiología , Responsabilidad SocialRESUMEN
The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 permeates all aspects of society worldwide. Initial medical reports and media coverage have increased awareness of the risk imposed on healthcare workers in particular, during this pandemic. However, the health implications of COVID-19 for the global workforce are multifaceted and complex, warranting careful reflection and consideration to mitigate the adverse effects on workers worldwide. Accordingly, our review offers a framework for considering this topic, highlighting key issues, with the aim to prompt and inform action, including research, to minimize the occupational hazards imposed by this ongoing challenge. We address respiratory disease as a primary concern, while recognizing the multisystem spectrum of COVID-19-related disease and how clinical aspects are interwoven with broader socioeconomic forces.
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COVID-19 , Salud Global , Enfermedades Profesionales , Pandemias , COVID-19/diagnóstico , COVID-19/economía , COVID-19/epidemiología , COVID-19/terapia , Prueba de COVID-19/métodos , Salud Global/economía , Salud Global/estadística & datos numéricos , Humanos , Control de Infecciones/métodos , Enfermedades Profesionales/diagnóstico , Enfermedades Profesionales/economía , Enfermedades Profesionales/epidemiología , Enfermedades Profesionales/terapia , Exposición Profesional/efectos adversos , Exposición Profesional/prevención & control , Salud Laboral , Pandemias/economía , Pandemias/prevención & control , Pandemias/estadística & datos numéricos , Vigilancia en Salud PúblicaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Workers' compensation claims among Medicare beneficiaries have not been described previously. To examine the healthcare burden of work-related injury and illness among Medicare beneficiaries, we assessed the characteristics, healthcare utilization, and financial costs among Medicare beneficiaries with claims for which workers' compensation was the primary payer. METHODS: We extracted final action fee-for-service Medicare claims from 1999 to 2016 where workers' compensation had primary responsibility for claim payment and beneficiary, claim type, diagnoses, and cost information from these claims. RESULTS: During 1999-2016, workers' compensation was the primary payer for 2,010,200 claims among 330,491 Medicare beneficiaries, and 58.7% of these beneficiaries had more than one claim. Carrier claims submitted by noninstitutional providers constituted the majority (94.5%) of claims. Diagnosis codes indicated 19.4% of claims were related to diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue and 12.9% were related to disease of the circulatory system. Workers' compensation insurance paid $880.4 million for these claims while Medicare paid $269.7 million and beneficiaries paid $37.4 million. CONCLUSIONS: Workers' compensation paid 74% of the total amount to providers for these work-related medical claims among Medicare beneficiaries. Claim diagnoses were similar to those of all workers' compensation claims in the United States. Describing these work-related claims helps identify the healthcare burden due to occupational injury and illness among Medicare beneficiaries resulting from employment and identifies a need for more comprehensive collection and surveillance of work-related medical claims.
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Reembolso de Seguro de Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Medicare/estadística & datos numéricos , Enfermedades Profesionales/economía , Traumatismos Ocupacionales/economía , Indemnización para Trabajadores/estadística & datos numéricos , Anciano , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Enfermedades Profesionales/epidemiología , Traumatismos Ocupacionales/epidemiología , Aceptación de la Atención de Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Estados Unidos/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Determine the industries with the highest proportion of accepted COVID-19 related workers' compensation (WC) claims. METHODS: Study included 21,336 WC claims (1898 COVID-19 and 19,438 other claims) that were filed between January 1, 2020 and August 31, 2020 from 11 states in the Midwest United States. RESULT: The overwhelming proportion of all COVID-19 related WC claims submitted and accepted were from healthcare workers (83.77%). Healthcare was the only industrial classification that was at significantly higher COVID-19 WC claim submission risk (odds ratio [OR]: 4.00; 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 2.77 to 5.79) controlling for type of employment, sex, age, and presumption of COVID-19 work-relatedness. Within healthcare employment, WC claims submitted by workers in medical laboratories had the highest risk (crude rate ratio of 8.78). CONCLUSION: Healthcare employment is associated with an increased risk of developing COVID-19 infections and submitting a workers' compensation claim.
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COVID-19/economía , Personal de Salud/clasificación , Industrias/clasificación , Enfermedades Profesionales/economía , Indemnización para Trabajadores/estadística & datos numéricos , Adulto , Anciano , Femenino , Personal de Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Humanos , Industrias/estadística & datos numéricos , Masculino , Personal de Laboratorio Clínico/estadística & datos numéricos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Medio Oeste de Estados Unidos/epidemiología , Oportunidad Relativa , SARS-CoV-2RESUMEN
The COVID-19 illness can occur as an occupational disease or work-related accident. According to the German list of occupational diseases, recognition as an occupational disease 3101 requires occupational exposure of an insured person who has been exposed to an increased risk of infection compared to the general population as a result of their occupational activity in one of the four areas: (1) health service or (2) social welfare sector, (3) laboratory or (4) during activities with increased risk of infection comparable to (1) to (3). The insurance cover covers employees, self-employed people - if not exempted from insurance cover - and honorary workers. The COVID-19 disease is subject to legal notification, mostly in conjunction with a contemporary SARS-CoV-2 virus detection. Regarding insured people who are not included within the aforementioned areas (1) to (4), the COVID-19 illness can be acknowledged as an occupational accident if the intense and direct contact with infected people - not intended as in the case of occupational disease 3101 - but otherwise situationally results from the insured activity itself.
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COVID-19/economía , COVID-19/etiología , Cobertura del Seguro , Enfermedades Profesionales/economía , Enfermedades Profesionales/etiología , SARS-CoV-2/aislamiento & purificación , Notificación de Enfermedades/legislación & jurisprudencia , Notificación de Enfermedades/normas , Alemania , Empleos en Salud , Humanos , Cobertura del Seguro/economía , Cobertura del Seguro/normas , Laboratorios , Exposición Profesional , Factores de Riesgo , Bienestar Social , VoluntariosRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Coal miners with totally disabling pneumoconiosis are eligible for benefits through the Federal Black Lung Benefits Program (FBLP). We identify the causes of death among Medicare beneficiaries with a claim for which the FBLP was the primary payer and compare these causes of death to all deceased Medicare beneficiaries to better understand elevated death and disease among miners with occupational respiratory exposures. METHODS: From 1999 to 2016 Medicare data, we extracted beneficiary and National Death Index data for 28,003 beneficiaries with an FBLP primary payer claim. We summarized the International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification 10th revision-coded underlying causes of death and entity-axis multiple causes of death for 22,242 deceased Medicare beneficiaries with an FBLP primary payer Medicare claim and compared their causes of death to the deceased Medicare beneficiary population. RESULTS: Among deceased FBLP beneficiaries, the three leading underlying causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, unspecified (J44.9, 10.1%), atherosclerotic heart disease (I25.1, 9.3%), and coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) (J60, 9.2%). All diseases of the respiratory system combined (J00-J99) were the underlying cause of death for 29.1% of all beneficiaries, with pneumoconioses (J60-J64) as the underlying cause for 11.0% of all beneficiaries. CONCLUSIONS: Coal miners enrolled in Medicare with an FBLP primary payer claim were more likely to have specific respiratory and cardiovascular diseases listed as a cause of death than deceased Medicare beneficiaries overall, and were also more likely to die from CWP or any pneumoconioses.
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Antracosis/mortalidad , Enfermedades Cardiovasculares/mortalidad , Minas de Carbón , Enfermedades Pulmonares/mortalidad , Medicare/estadística & datos numéricos , Enfermedades Profesionales/mortalidad , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Antracosis/economía , Enfermedades Cardiovasculares/economía , Causas de Muerte , Enfermedad de la Arteria Coronaria/economía , Enfermedad de la Arteria Coronaria/mortalidad , Femenino , Humanos , Enfermedades Pulmonares/economía , Masculino , Enfermedades Profesionales/economía , Exposición Profesional/efectos adversos , Exposición Profesional/estadística & datos numéricos , Enfermedad Pulmonar Obstructiva Crónica/economía , Enfermedad Pulmonar Obstructiva Crónica/mortalidad , Estados Unidos/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
: COVID-19 illness can cause multiorgan illness. Some States have passed legislation granting a rebuttable presumption of causation by workplace exposure in certain occupations. This paper summarizes methodology for evaluating claimants utilizing known science and as well as information from the American Medical Association Guides resources.
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Betacoronavirus , Infecciones por Coronavirus/economía , Enfermedades Profesionales/economía , Exposición Profesional , Pandemias/economía , Neumonía Viral/economía , Indemnización para Trabajadores/organización & administración , COVID-19 , Infecciones por Coronavirus/etiología , Infecciones por Coronavirus/terapia , Humanos , Enfermedades Profesionales/etiología , Enfermedades Profesionales/terapia , Neumonía Viral/etiología , Neumonía Viral/terapia , SARS-CoV-2 , Estados UnidosRESUMEN
Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are respiratory conditions associated with a significant economic cost among U.S. adults (1,2), and up to 44% of asthma and 50% of COPD cases among adults are associated with workplace exposures (3). CDC analyzed 2011-2015 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data to determine the medical expenditures attributed to treatment of asthma and COPD among U.S. workers aged ≥18 years who were employed at any time during the survey year. During 2011-2015, among the estimated 166 million U.S. workers, 8 million had at least one asthma-related medical event,* and 7 million had at least one COPD-related medical event. The annualized total medical expenditures, in 2017 dollars, were $7 billion for asthma and $5 billion for COPD. Private health insurance paid for 61% of expenditures attributable to treatment of asthma and 59% related to COPD. By type of medical event, the highest annualized per-person asthma- and COPD-related expenditures were for inpatient visits: $8,238 for asthma and $27,597 for COPD. By industry group, the highest annualized per-person expenditures ($1,279 for asthma and $1,819 for COPD) were among workers in public administration. Early identification and reduction of risk factors, including workplace exposures, and implementation of proven interventions are needed to reduce the adverse health and economic impacts of asthma and COPD among workers.
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Asma/economía , Gastos en Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Enfermedades Profesionales/economía , Enfermedad Pulmonar Obstructiva Crónica/economía , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Asma/epidemiología , Asma/terapia , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Enfermedades Profesionales/epidemiología , Enfermedades Profesionales/terapia , Enfermedad Pulmonar Obstructiva Crónica/epidemiología , Enfermedad Pulmonar Obstructiva Crónica/terapia , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Estados Unidos/epidemiología , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Given the elevated risk of tuberculosis (TB), including drug-resistant disease, experienced by health workers in South Africa (SA), effective workers' compensation for occupational TB is a legal right and an essential social benefit. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the experience of the workers' compensation system among health workers who suffered from TB while working in public service facilities in Western Cape Province, SA. METHODS: In this case series with a qualitative component, 300 claims for occupational TB in health workers were sampled from the provincial health department database of claims submitted. Claim status for each case was ascertained. An attempt was made to contact each health worker for a telephonic interview consisting of both closed- and open-ended (qualitative) questions. Fifty-one interviews were completed. RESULTS: In nearly half of the cases, there was no record of claim status on the state Compensation Fund website. Of the 51 interviewees, only one had received all the compensation benefits for their particular claim circumstances. Health workers' experience of having their cases reported for compensation purposes was marred by perception of poor communication and administration. The experience of contracting TB was further characterised by surprise, perceptions of stigma, financial burden and ongoing ill-health. CONCLUSIONS: Affected health workers' experience of the workers' compensation system was mostly negative, adding to the burden of being ill with TB. Education of management and clinicians, improvement in communication, and timeous and regular checking of claim status and of payment of applicable compensation are required at the provincial level. Dedicated facility-based occupational health units are needed, with a staff complement of knowledgeable persons trusted by their colleagues. However, the effectiveness of the system is ultimately dependent on the ability of the Compensation Fund to register and display claims timeously and administer compensation expeditiously.