Challenges facing occupational health services in the 21st century

The mission and tasks of occupational health services are reviewed in the c ontext of the global megatrends of productivity increase, population overgr owth, and the implications of changes in the technology of information and communication. Current trends in attempts to achieve harmonization with res pect to the concept and tasks of occupational health services in the Europe an Union are described, along with the basic features of occupational healt h services as a human service organization with implications for the settin g of objectives and criteria for assessing quality and performance and ethi cs. The need to adopt a quality-focused approach to occupational health ser vice programs is emphasized, and some of the inhibitions and obstacles to q uality work are mentioned. The need for professional commitment to develop and implement quality concepts is outlined. Evidence-based health care in t he setting of occupational health services and some salient aspects of prof essional ethics in the 21st century are commented on.