Hospital Occupational Health Service Network and Reporting Systems in Taiwan From 2008 to 2021

Ping Shih; Po-Ching Chu; Ching-Chun Huang; Yue Leon Guo; Pau-Chung Chen; Ta-Chen Su

doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000002751

Hospital Occupational Health Service Network and Reporting Systems in Taiwan From 2008 to 2021

J Occup Environ Med. 2023 Feb 1;65(2):e43-e50. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002751. Epub 2022 Nov 9.

Authors

Ping Shih¹, Po-Ching Chu, Ching-Chun Huang, Yue Leon Guo, Pau-Chung Chen, Ta-Chen Su

Affiliation

¹ From the Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine and National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (Dr Shih, Dr Chu, Dr Huang, Dr Guo, Dr Chen, Dr Su); Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Hsin-Chu Branch, Hsinchu, Taiwan (Dr Shih, Dr Huang); Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (Dr Guo, Dr Chen, Dr Su); National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan (Dr Guo, Dr Chen); and Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine and National Taiwan University Hospital, Taiwan (Dr Su).

PMID: 36351218
DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002751

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the provision of occupational health services at hospitals following the establishment of the Network of Occupational Disease and Injury Service in 2007.

Methods: A review of occupational health services during 2008 to 2021 was conducted. The medical practice-based reporting system was compared with the database of compensated occupational diseases (ODs) from Taiwan's Labor Insurance.

Results: First-time outpatient visits for occupational evaluation and total visits to Network of Occupational Disease and Injury Service health care institutions increased from 1777 and 9435 to 12,092 and 23,210, respectively. Reported ODs increased from 1626 to 2043 with a peak of 2791. Up to 1380 workers evaluated for work resumption in 2021. Similar to the increasing trend in reported ODs, the number of compensated ODs increased over years.

Conclusion: The health service needs of Taiwanese workers from OD evaluation to vocational rehabilitation are increasing.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Humans
Insurance*
Occupational Diseases* / epidemiology
Occupational Health Services*
Taiwan / epidemiology