Notification of occupational diseases by general practitioners in the Western Cape
Govender, M.; Ehrlich, R.I.; Mohammed, A.
South African Medical Journal 90(10): 1012-1014
2000
ISSN/ISBN: 0256-9574 PMID: 11081109 Document Number: 521562
Background: Notification of occupational diseases to the Department of Labour (and in limited situations to other agencies) is an important aspect of surveillance and planning for interventions as well as compensation. A survey of general practitioners (GPs) was conducted to assess their knowledge and practice with regard to reporting of occupational diseases. Design: Descriptive telephonic survey. Setting: Independent general practices in the Western Cape. Participants: One hundred and forty GPs were randomly selected from a provincial sampling frame of 1 000 GPs. Main outcome measures: Knowledge of notification procedures for occupational diseases, and problems encountered with the reporting system. Results: Of a total of 109 GPs interviewed, 75% had diagnosed more than one case of occupational disease in the last 6 months. Twenty-four per cent of the total (95% confidence interval (CI) 16 - 32%) indicated that they were aware of the notification requirements, and 5% (95% CI 0.8 - 9%) knew the appropriate legislation. Only one GP notified the appropriate authority once the diagnosis was made. Factors influencing their reporting practice included lack of guidelines for diagnosis of common work-related conditions, lack of information regarding referral channels, problems with communicating with the patient and employer, and poor knowledge of the reporting process itself. Lack of motivation as a result of poor feedback on cases reported and the labour-intensive administration required, were also cited as factors. Conclusion: Although the majority of GPs diagnose occupational diseases, knowledge and practice regarding notification are poor. Recommendations to overcome obstacles to notification include a simplified, uniform notification system, adequate training and support of GPs, and timeous feedback to GPs.