RECOGNIZING OCCUPATIONAL-DISEASE - TAKING AN EFFECTIVE OCCUPATIONAL HISTORY

Occupational exposures contribute to the morbidity and mortality of ma ny diseases. However, occupational diseases continue to be underrecogn ized even though they are responsible for an estimated 860,000 illness es and 60,300 deaths each year. Family physicians can play an importan t role in improving the recognition of occupational disease, preventin g progressive illness and disability in their own patients, and contri buting to the protection of other workers similarly exposed. This role can be maximized if physicians raise their level of suspicion for wor kplace disease, develop skills in taking occupational histories and es tablish routine access to occupational health resources.