[Professional integrity among commercial occupational health services]

In the field of Occupational Health Services (OHSs) a fundamental change of the regime of supply of services was implemented in the Netherlands between 1993 and 1998 by introducing market competition. This regime change is characterised as a shift from a suppliers' market where occupational physicians were able to determine the supply to a large extent, to a buyers' market where companies can choose from a large variety of services at different prices. The regime change does affect the position of the occupational physician drastically and many consider their professional integrity and independence threatened. To meet the demand for an independent judgement and advice in problems concerning the interaction between work and health, the professional group should organize itself more as a party in the market.