Establishing a medical program

Are good, clear records kept of medical testing and assistance Do employees say that test results were explained to them Do employees feel that more first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation- (CPR-) trained personnel should be available Are employees satisfied with the medical arrangements provided at the site or elsewhere Does the occupational healthcare provider understand the potential hazards of the worksite, so that occupational illness symptoms can be recognized  

Have further injuries, or worsening of injuries, occurred because proper medical assistance (including trained first aid and CPR providers) was not readily available Have occupational illnesses possibly gone undetected because no one with occupational health specialty training reviewed employee symptoms as part of the medical program  

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Facility and equipment maintenance should be provided so that hazardous breakdown is prevented. Plan and prepare for emergencies and conduct training and drills as needed so that the response of all parties to emergencies becomes second nature. Establish a medical program that includes first aid available on-site, with physician and emergency medical care nearby, to minimize harm if any injury or illness does occur. 

Establish a medical program, which includes availability of first aid on site so that harm will be minimized if an injury or illness does occur. The medical program should also include information about how to contact local emergency medical services. 

AHRQ will develop research and build partnerships with heath care practitioners and healthcare systems, and establish a permanent program of Centers for Education and Research in Therapeutics (CERTs). These initiatives will help address concerns raised in a 1999 report by the Institute of Medicine (lOM) that estimates as many as 98,000 patients die as a result of medical errors in hospitals each year. " ... 

Adverse Events. The Safe Medical Devices Act of 1990 included a provision by which both users and manufacturers (and distributors) of medical devices are required to report adverse patient events that may be related to a medical device. Manufacturers must report to the FDA if a device (a) may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury, or (b) malfunctioned in such a way as would be likely to cause or contribute to a death or serious injury if the malfunction were to reoccur. Device users are required to notify the device manufacturer of reportable incidents, and must also notify the FDA in case of a device-related death. In addition, the FDA established a voluntary program for reporting device problems that may not have caused an untoward patient event, but which may have the potential for such an occurrence under altered circumstances. 

Leapfrog Group (2) A body formed by the Business Roimdtable, a coalition of prominent business leaders who purchase health insiu ance for 25 million Americans. Organized to confront the problem of medical accident, the Leapfing Group established a voluntary program that rewards the health care industry for breakthrough improvements ( big leaps ) in patient safety. 

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2007-117 (April 2007) addresses hazards for healthcare workers who handle, prepare, or administer hazardous drugs. Workers may face risks to their own health such as skin rashes, cancer, and reproductive disorders. NIOSH recommends that employers establish a medical surveillance program to protect workers who handle hazardous drugs in the workplace. 

Establishing a medical surveillance program that includes handling first aid cases on-site and off-site at a nearby physician and/or emergency medical care to help reduce the risk of any incident that may occur [2]... 

A medical program that provides knowledgeable medical and emotional treatment should be established. This program shall ensure that victimized employees are provided with the same concern that is shown to the victims. Violence is a major safety hazard in psychiatric and acute care facilities, emergency rooms, homeless shelters, and other health care settings. Medical and emotional evaluation and treatment are frequently needed, but often difficult to obtain. 

Sometimes inclusion in a medical surveillance program may be dictated by law or statute. For example, OSHA requires that employers establish a medical surveillance program for employees who may be exposed to certain toxic and hazardous substances (29 CFR 1910.1000, Subpart Z). 

Many industries are required to establish and maintain a medical surveillance program under OSHA guidelines. Just how a medical program fits the requirements of the particular research laboratory is a question that can only be answered after a careful examination is... 

L. A medical surveillance program must be in place to assess and monitor the health and fitness of employees. A medical surveillance program helps assess and monitor the health and fitness of employees working with hazardous substances. The contractors at Sites A, E, H, and K and one subcontractor at Site I appear to have established medical surveillance programs that with minor exceptions were consistent with HAZWOPER requirements. 

Outcome studies of methadone maintenance treatment have reported favorable results. High rates of patient retention, reduced criminality, and improved social rehabilitation are reported. Despite its proved effectiveness, it remains a controversial approach among substance abuse treatment providers, public officials, policy makers, the medical profession, and the public at large. Nevertheless, almost every nation with a significant narcotic addiction problem has established a methadone maintenance treatment program. 

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