Recognition of COVID-19 with occupational origin: a comparison between European countries.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to present an overview of the formal recognition of COVID-19 as occupational disease (OD) or injury (OI) across Europe. METHODS: A COVID-19 questionnaire was designed by a task group within COST-funded OMEGA-NET and sent to occupational health experts of 37 countries in WHO European region, with a last update in April 2022. RESULTS: The questionnaire was filled out by experts from 35 countries. There are large differences between national systems regarding the recognition of OD and OI: 40% of countries have a list system, 57% a mixed system and one country an open system. In most countries, COVID-19 can be recognised as an OD (57%). In four countries, COVID-19 can be recognised as OI (11%) and in seven countries as either OD or OI (20%). In two countries, there is no recognition possible to date. Thirty-two countries (91%) recognise COVID-19 as OD/OI among healthcare workers. Working in certain jobs is considered proof of occupational exposure in 25 countries, contact with a colleague with confirmed infection in 19 countries, and contact with clients with confirmed infection in 21 countries. In most countries (57%), a positive PCR test is considered proof of disease. The three most common compensation benefits for COVID-19 as OI/OD are disability pension, treatment and rehabilitation. Long COVID is included in 26 countries. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 can be recognised as OD or OI in 94% of the European countries completing this survey, across different social security and embedded occupational health systems.

[Patients experiencing burnout : medico-social needs and resources]. / Patients en situation de burnout : besoins médico-sociaux et ressources.

There is a gap between the current service offer and the needs of people suffering from burnout. Actors in the field, from employers to prescribers, have a role to play in addressing the health needs of the target population, promoting existing services and facilitating their integrative collaboration. This is what a study evaluating the adequacy between the health needs of people experiencing burnout and the services offered to these patients from the point of view of key informants in the canton of Vaud has shown. The first part identified, through empirical research on the Internet, services focused on work organization, therapeutic, social and professional reintegration services. The second part, based on a qualitative focus group method, identified 21 unmet needs.

Il existe un écart entre l'offre de services actuelle et les besoins des personnes en situation de burnout. Les acteurs de terrain, des employeurs aux prescripteurs, ont un rôle à jouer pour répondre aux besoins de santé de la population cible, promouvoir les services existants et faciliter leur collaboration intégrative. C'est ce qu'une étude évaluant l'adéquation entre les besoins de santé des personnes en situation d'épuisement professionnel ou de burnout et les services offerts à ces patients, du point de vue des informateurs clés du canton de Vaud, a démontré. Une première partie a identifié, par une recherche empirique sur internet, les services axés sur l'organisation du travail, les services thérapeutiques, sociaux et de réinsertion professionnelle. La seconde partie, basée sur une méthode qualitative par focus group, a identifié 21 besoins non comblés.

Determinants of Pesticide Exposure in Occupational Studies: A Meta-Analysis.

Few epidemiological studies use exposure determinants specifically tailored to assess pesticide or plant protection product (PPP) exposures when assessing presumed association between occupational exposure and health outcomes among agricultural workers. This lack of exposure specificity could lead to results that fail to detect an association. It could be related to the lack of consensus on exposure assessment methods and the choice of exposure determinants. We conducted a meta-analysis following the PRISMA checklist to identify PPP exposure determinants used in occupational studies and identified exposure determinants that best characterized agricultural exposures to PPPs. Out of 1436 studies identified, 71 were included. The exposure determinants identified were active ingredients, chemical classes, types of PPP, crops, tasks, frequencies, duration, lifetime exposure days, and intensity-weighted exposure days. Only six over 17 associations between exposure determinants and health outcomes were found with moderate quality of evidence. Overall, epidemiological studies had difficulty defining relevant determinants to characterize PPP exposures for agricultural workers. We recommend that a standardized list of determinants for PPP exposures in occupational exposure studies should include information on formulations, intensity, duration, and frequency of PPP exposure. Harmonized data collection on exposure and health outcomes are required as well as standard units for each exposure determinant.

Evaluation of a pilot consultation for maternity protection at work in Switzerland.

STUDY AIMS: Switzerland's Labour Law and its Ordonnance on Maternity Protection aim to protect the health of pregnant employees and their unborn children while enabling them to continue to pursue their professional activities. Some companies encounter difficulties implementing the law's provisions. The Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, part of the Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), has provided specialist occupational medicine consultations for pregnant employees since 2015. This study aimed to evaluate how well Swiss' maternity protection legislation is implemented by examining a list of relevant indicators measured during the occupational health consultation. The study also sought to investigate the consultation support provided to the relevant stakeholders and the adjustments made to pregnant employees' working conditions. METHODS: Descriptive variables and indicators relative to the application of the Swiss maternity protection legislation for 83 pregnant employees were collected during the consultation's pilot phase (between 2015 and 2016). Descriptive statistics and cross-analyses of these indicators were made. RESULTS: Most pregnant employees faced multiple exposures to occupational risks. Preventive risk analyses were rare. Few adjustments to workstations were proposed. We found a tendency for employees to leave their workstations early on in their pregnancies due to sick leave certificate prescriptions. Specialist consultation and collaboration with occupational health physicians to recommend interventions for pregnant employees can provide significant benefits and help some pregnant women to continue at their workstations with appropriate adjustments. DISCUSSION: A specialised occupational health consultation is a useful instrument for identifying occupational hazards for both the pregnant woman and her unborn child. It is also an opportunity to explain employers' legal responsibilities and obligations to safeguard the health of their pregnant employees and to give specific advice for their company's situation. This consultation also enables employers to maintain their employees' valuable professional competencies in the workplace for as long as possible. Finally, occupational health consultation helps and supports healthcare providers who must, according to the law, make decisions about whether pregnant employees can continue working safely or not.

[Primary care and suffering at work situations]. / Conduite à tenir pour le médecin de premier recours face aux situations de souffrance et travail.

Work is a social determinant of health. When it is adapted to the worker, its effects on health are beneficial. Unhealthy working conditions, with inadequate or absent management of psychosocial risk factors, can have negative consequences on workers' health. General practitioners are often on the front line in diagnosing these disorders and coordinating their treatment. In this article, we outline the key elements of an initial consultation with the general practitioner for situations of suffering and work and propose a draft structure for a care chain.

Le travail est un déterminant social important de la santé. Quand il est adapté, ses effets sur la santé des travailleurs sont bénéfiques. Des conditions de travail, rendues délétères par une gestion inadéquate d'éventuels facteurs de risque psychosociaux, peuvent entraîner des conséquences négatives sur la santé des travailleurs. Les médecins de famille sont souvent en première ligne pour établir le diagnostic de ces atteintes et coordonner leur prise en charge. Dans cet article, nous exposons les éléments-clés d'une première consultation chez le médecin de famille pour les situations de souffrance et travail et proposons une ébauche de structuration d'une filière de soins.

[Management of musculoskeletal disorders in primary care medicine]. / Prise en charge des troubles musculosquelettiques en médecine de premier recours.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are very common among the general and working Swiss population. The attending physician is often called upon to take care of patients with MSDs. To do this, it is necessary to take into account the contribution of professional and extra-professional factors in the etiology and/or the aggravation of these pathologies. At the same time, multidisciplinary collaboration provides help in treatment, prevention and issues of return and maintaining one's employment.

Les troubles musculosquelettiques (TMS) sont fréquents dans la population active et dans la population générale. Le médecin de famille est souvent amené à prendre en charge ces pathologies. Une prise en charge pluridisciplinaire, avec des spécialistes de rhumatologie et de santé au travail, est recommandée pour la prévention, le traitement et la gestion de la problématique du maintien d'une capacité de travail et du retour au poste après un arrêt de travail. Le travail pluridisciplinaire permet d'investiguer la contribution des facteurs professionnels et extraprofessionnels dans l'étiologie et/ou l'aggravation des TMS et de proposer une prise en charge adaptée.

Determinants of Burnout among Teachers: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies.

We aimed to review the determinants of burnout onset in teachers. The study was conducted according to the PROSPERO protocol CRD42018105901, with a focus on teachers. We performed a literature search from 1990 to 2021 in three databases: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase. We included longitudinal studies assessing burnout as a dependent variable, with a sample of at least 50 teachers. We summarized studies by the types of determinant and used the MEVORECH tool for a risk of bias assessment (RBA). The quantitative synthesis focused on emotional exhaustion. We standardized the reported regression coefficients and their standard errors and plotted them using R software to distinguish between detrimental and protective determinants. A qualitative analysis of the included studies (n = 33) identified 61 burnout determinants. The RBA showed that most studies had external and internal validity issues. Most studies implemented two waves (W) of data collection with 6-12 months between W1 and W2. Four types of determinants were summarized quantitatively, namely support, conflict, organizational context, and individual characteristics, based on six studies. This systematic review identified detrimental determinants of teacher exhaustion, including job satisfaction, work climate or pressure, teacher self-efficacy, neuroticism, perceived collective exhaustion, and classroom disruption. We recommend that authors consider using harmonized methods and protocols such as those developed in OMEGA-NET and other research consortia.

Diagnostic Performances of an Occupational Burnout Detection Method Designed for Healthcare Professionals.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to assess the validity (criterion and cross-cultural validity) and reliability of the first occupational burnout (OB) detection tool designed for healthcare professionals in Belgium in the context of Swiss medical practice. METHODS: First, we assessed the sensitivity and specificity of the Tool. We developed this tool based on the consultation reports of 42 patients and compared its detection to the results of the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), filled-in by patients before a consultation. Second, we performed an inter-rater reliability (IRR) assessment on the OB symptoms and detection reached by the Tool between a psychiatrist, two psychologists, and an occupational physician. RESULTS: The Tool correctly identified over 80% of patients with OB, regardless of the cutoff value used for OLBI scores, reflecting its high sensitivity. Conversely, its specificity strongly varied depending on the OLBI cutoff. There was a slight to fair overall agreement between the four raters on the detection of OB and the number of OB symptoms. Around 41% of symptoms showed a substantial to an almost perfect agreement, and 36% showed a slight to a moderate agreement. CONCLUSIONS: The Tool seems useful for identifying OB of moderate and strong severity in both the Belgian and Swiss contexts.

Predictors of Occupational Burnout: A Systematic Review.

We aimed to review occupational burnout predictors, considering their type, effect size and role (protective versus harmful), and the overall evidence of their importance. MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase were searched from January 1990 to August 2018 for longitudinal studies examining any predictor of occupational burnout among workers. We arranged predictors in four families and 13 subfamilies of homogenous constructs. The plots of z-scores per predictor type enabled graphical discrimination of the effects. The vote-counting and binomial test enabled discrimination of the effect direction. The size of the effect was estimated using Cohen's formula. The risk of bias and the overall evidence were assessed using the MEVORECH and GRADE methods, respectively. Eighty-five studies examining 261 predictors were included. We found a moderate quality of evidence for the harmful effects of the job demands subfamily (six predictors), and negative job attitudes, with effect sizes from small to medium. We also found a moderate quality of evidence for the protective effect of adaptive coping (small effect sizes) and leisure (small to medium effect sizes). Preventive interventions for occupational burnout might benefit from intervening on the established predictors regarding reducing job demands and negative job attitudes and promoting adaptive coping and leisure.

Evolution of gynaecologists' practices regarding the implementation of Swiss legislation on maternity protection at work between 2008 and 2017.

BACKGROUND: In accordance with the International Labour Organization’s Maternity Protection Convention (No. 183) and European Union Directive 92/857CEE (1992), Switzerland’s Labour Law and its Maternity Protection Ordinance (OProMa) aim to protect the health of pregnant employees and their future children while enabling them to pursue their working activities. Gynaecologists-obstetricians have a key role in this legislation, particularly through the prescription of preventive leave for patients who would otherwise face dangerous or arduous tasks in the absence of an adequate risk analysis or suitable protective measures. However, international and national literature suggests that gynaecologists-obstetricians may encounter difficulties in fulfilling their role. AIMS: This study aimed to: (1) describe the practices and difficulties encountered by gynaecologists-obstetricians in the practical implementation of the OProMa; and (2) compare the evolution of these practices and difficulties between 2008 and 2017. METHODS: A survey by questionnaire was conducted in 2008 and repeated in 2017. Both surveys focused on gynaecologists-obstetricians working in the French-speaking part of Switzerland (in private practices, hospitals or both). Descriptive and comparative analyses were carried out. RESULTS: 83 gynaecologists-obstetricians responded in 2008 and 93 in 2017: response rates of 47% and 32%, respectively. In 2017, gynaecologists-obstetricians were more likely to ask questions about occupational risks faced by their patients when consulted by working mothers about their pregnancies. The estimated percentage of patients exposed to an occupational risk remained constant (20% in 2008 and 22% in 2017). Communication and collaboration with employers were reported to be difficult in both surveys, even though these are key elements in the implementation of the OProMa. Collaboration with occupational physicians, however, was more frequent in 2017. CONCLUSION: In 2017, gynaecologists-obstetricians showed a greater awareness of occupational risks and collaborated more frequently with occupational health specialists. However, the application of the OProMa remained limited over the studied time period. Improving training of gynaecologists-obstetricians in this field could be a significant factor in encouraging better implementation of the current legislation. Moreover, gynaecologists-obstetricians need to be given the necessary support to enable their clinical practice to evolve towards a more preventive type of medicine. Collaboration with relevant stakeholders, including occupational physicians, midwives and workers, should be encouraged.

[Detection and treatment of burnout by physicians of Unisanté]. / Repérage et prise en charge des patients en burnout par les médecins d'Unisanté.

Lacking diagnostic standards, the prevalence of Occupational Burnout (OB) remains uncertain. Unisanté aimed to evaluate its magnitude in its patients and to evaluate the medical practices related to OB in two of its departments, the Department of the Policlinics (DDP) and the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health (DSTE). An online survey has shown that 43/55 of the physicians participating in the survey have already diagnosed patients with OB in their practice. Two focus groups allowed to evaluate the interest and usefulness of a standardized diagnostic tool for physicians of the DDP and the DSTE. The tool turned out not to be appropriate in its present form, but this work allowed to sensitize physicians to OB and to clarify the recommendations for the screening and treatment of OB patients at Unisanté.

Faute de standard diagnostique, la prévalence de burnout professionnel (BP) reste incertaine. Unisanté a souhaité évaluer son ampleur dans sa patientèle et décrire les pratiques médicales en rapport au BP dans 2 de ses départements, le Département des policliniques (DDP) et le Département santé, travail et environnement (DSTE). Une enquête en ligne a montré que 43/55 médecins participant à l'étude ont déjà diagnostiqué des patients en BP dans leur pratique. Deux focus groups ont permis d'évaluer l'intérêt et l'utilité d'un outil diagnostique standardisé pour les médecins du DDP et du DSTE. L'outil s'est avéré peu adapté sous sa forme actuelle, mais ce travail a permis de sensibiliser les médecins au BP et de clarifier les recommandations de dépistage et de prise en charge des patients en BP à Unisanté.

Suicide mortality follow-up of the Swiss National Cohort (1990-2014): sex-specific risk estimates by occupational socio-economic group in working-age population.

PURPOSE: To identify occupations and socio-economic groups with detrimental or protective effect on suicide mortality. METHODS: For every occupation and economic activity/industry, we computed directly age-standardized mortality rates (DSRs) using the age structure of the European population (2010) and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for suicide using national cause-specific mortality rates. We further stratified analyses by socio-economic variables, job-skill level, and by three calendar periods (1990-1998/1999-2006/2007-2014). RESULTS: The study sample comprised 5,834,618 participants (94,918,456 person-years). The highest DSRs were observed among unemployed/job-seeking group, in agricultural, fishery and related male workers, and in health and social activities female workers. The lowest DSRs were observed in real estate and renting, research and development, IT and other business activities in men and in agriculture, hunting and forestry industry in women. A consistent reduction in DSRs across three calendar periods was observed in men. In female corporate managers, DSRs increased over the 2007-2014 period compared with 1999-2006. Compared to general working-age population, unemployed/job-seeking people, manufacturing labourers, personal care and related workers, and motor vehicle drivers of both sexes were identified at risk of suicide. Moreover, an excess of suicide was observed among male material recording and transport clerks; nursing and midwife-associated professionals; and agricultural workers as well as among female writers and performing artists. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest the detrimental effect of low socioeconomic positions, including unemployment, with respect to suicide mortality and a relationship between suicide and poor psychosocial working conditions in elementary occupations. Sex-specific results need further investigation.

Burnout syndrome in Europe: towards a harmonized approach in occupational health practice and research.

Health practitioners and decision makers in the medical and insurance systems need knowledge on the work-relatedness of burnout. To gather the most reliable information regarding burnout diagnosis and recognition in Europe, we used an 8-item standard questionnaire sent by e-mail to occupational health specialists identified via the Network on the Coordination and Harmonization of European Occupational Cohorts (OMEGA-NET) within the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action. Participation rate was 100%, and the questionnaire was completed for 37 countries. In 14 (38%) countries burnout syndrome can be acknowledged as an occupational disease. However, only one country included burnout on the list of occupational diseases. The results showed a high variability in burnout diagnosis, in assessment of its work-relatedness, and in conditions allowing compensation of patients. These results reflect a lack of graded evidence on burnout and its determinants. The ongoing research on burnout conducted in the frame of the OMEGA-NET COST Action should be helpful through facilitating standardization of both existing and new data on burnout, a priority outcome requiring harmonization.

Predictors of Return to Work 12 Months After Solid Organ Transplantation: Results from the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study.

Background Return to work with or after a chronic disease is not a very well understood process, influenced by a variety of personal, professional, societal and medical factors. The aim of this study is to identify predictors for return to work 12 months after a solid organ transplant applying a bio-psycho-social model. Methods This study is based on patients included in the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study, a national prospective multicentre cohort, who underwent a first solid organ transplant (kidney, liver, heart, lung). Bio-psycho-social factors were tested and predictors of return to work identified using logistic regression models. Results Among the 636 patients included in the study, 49.8% (317) were employed 12 months post-transplant. The major predictor for returning to work 12 months posttransplant was pre-transplant employment status (OR 10.8). Accordingly, the population was stratified in employed and not employed pre-transplant groups. Age, self-perceived health (6 months post-transplant) and the transplanted organ were significantly associated with post-transplant employment status in both groups. Return to work was influenced by education, depression (6 month post-transplant) and waiting time in the employed pre-transplant group and by invalidity pension in the not employed pre-transplant group. Conclusion Employment status pre-transplant being highly associated with employment status post-transplant, the process promoting return to work should be started well before surgery. Biomedical, psychological and social factors must be taken into account to promote return to work in transplanted patients.

Long title: Protocol for evaluating a Consultation for Suffering at work in French-speaking Switzerland.

INTRODUCTION: Psychosocial suffering entails human, social and economic costs. In Switzerland, 34.4% of workers report chronic work-related stress. Our medical Consultation for Suffering at Work aims to preserve-or restore-the patient's capacity to act and make decisions after a diagnosis of work-related psychological suffering; it also aims to help employees get back to or remain at work. Our hypothesis is that the dynamic of the consultation itself and adherence to its medical advice are active factors of these results. OBJECTIVES: Understand changes in patients' work and health status 12 months after a Consultation for Suffering at Work. Determine the effects of the consultation on health and working status via identified active factors: the consultation dynamic and the ability to adhere to the consultation's advice. Evaluate the consultation's effects qualitatively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This longitudinal, monocentric study with a quasi-experimental design will include patients consulting between 1 January and 31 December 2018. Changes in patients' work and health status will be analysed using data collected via questionnaires at 0, 3 and 12 months. Qualitative data will be collected via a semi-structured telephone interview 3 months after the consultation. The quantitative part will include 150-170 patients; the qualitative part will include 30. CONCLUSION: This exploratory research project will provide a better understanding of issues of work-related psychological suffering and effective strategies to support patients. The absence of a control group and the impossibility of applying a randomised controlled design are constraints on this study.

Occupational exposure to plant protection products and health effects in Switzerland: what do we know and what do we need to do?

AIMS: There is currently no centralised database on workers' exposures to plant protection products (PPPs) in Switzerland, nor a national register for negative health effects linking them to occupational PPP exposure. This lack of basic data makes it difficult to implement either epidemiological research or prevention campaigns for the agricultural sector. The first objective was to understand the level of information and flow of data on occupational PPP exposures and health effects in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland. Then, to apply this information to develop recommendations for improving a vigilance system for occupational health effects related to PPP exposure. METHODS: A mapping study and semistructured stakeholder interviews were conducted to better understand the flow of data on occupational PPP exposures and health effects. A clinical records investigation of workers occupationally exposed to PPPs was undertaken to understand the magnitude of this potential problem. Finally, a workshop brought together relevant stakeholders to discuss recommendations for the way forwards. RESULTS: A lack of data on PPP exposures and associated health effects was revealed. This highlighted important knowledge gaps at different levels of the current institutional information flow system. We found that although there were numerous stakeholders that worked efficiently in their own mandate, there was a clear need for increased collaboration and coordination in order to make use of existing data to promote safer PPP use among agricultural workers in Switzerland. CONCLUSIONS: Due to increasing evidence of an association between PPP exposure and health effects, increased collaboration between stakeholders is necessary to develop links between the data sources that already exist. Our study was the first to investigate the health effects linked to PPP exposure among the Swiss agricultural population. The recommendations presented in this paper would help promote a safer and healthier agricultural workforce in Switzerland, as well as the population at large.

Social position modifies the association between severe shoulder/arm and knee/leg pain, and quality of life after retirement.

PURPOSE: Musculoskeletal disorders are extremely frequent and account for an important part of the global burden of disease. Risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders include sustained occupational exposure to physically demanding jobs. The effects of sustained occupational physical exposures on knee and shoulder pain are known to persist after retirement; also, several studies have shown a socio-economic gradient in health and quality-of-life outcomes, including for musculoskeletal pain. It is thus possible that prolonged occupational exposures affect workers differently in the long-term along a socio-economic gradient. This study was conducted to investigate whether the impacts of severe shoulder/arm and knee/leg pain on the quality of life of retired workers follow a socio-economic gradient. METHODS: Data from the French GAZEL cohort study (n = 14,249) were used to compare the impacts of severe shoulder/arm and knee/leg pain separately on the SF-36, Nottingham Health Profile and limitations in activities of daily living measured in 2006 and 2007, between four groups of social position (measured in 1989). Analyses were made in 2014 with multiple linear and logistic regressions and stratified by sex. RESULTS: For both pain sites, in men and women, there was a strong general tendency for the impacts of severe pain to be smaller among participants in higher social positions. Most important differences were related to pain and physical limitations. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest inequalities in the impacts of severe joint pain by socio-economic status. The source of these inequalities is still speculative and merits the scientific attention.

Carpal tunnel syndrome: primary care and occupational factors.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) affects about 1% of working-aged people and is the commonest cause of hand pain in manual workers. CTS is a clinical diagnosis and does not warrant any further investigation in the presence of mild and suggestive CTS. Although the recommended non-surgical management is still a matter of debate, nocturnal splinting or steroid injection are recommended in most countries, with strong to moderate level of evidence for short-term efficacy. Patients with an uncertain diagnosis or severe symptoms, should undergo nerve conduction studies with referral to a hand specialist.

Extended-duration hospital shifts, medical errors and patient mortality.

A meta-analysis was undertaken to study the association between extended medical shifts and consequences for patients. In six studies, the meta odds ratio was increased for mortality and for serious medical errors, but not for preventable medical errors and for physicians who slept >6 hours.