EPAC--a database system for epicrises of occupational examinations in the chemical industry

The Medical Service at BASF Aktiengesellschaft in Ludwigshafen began work on introducing an occupational medical information system in 1980. Having developed software for recording acute cases and laboratory results. EPAC was finally introduced in 1989 and integrated into the rest of the system. The aim of the system is to maintain a record of all medical examinations, along with all important personal details and the type of work in which the employee is engaged, the reason for the examination, the diagnosis (and all the factors taken into account in reaching it), and the interpretation of the results from the point of view of occupational medical practice. The details stored in the database provide information on the following: How often is the same diagnosis made for employees in the same type of employment? How does the incidence of diagnoses differ between different groups of employees with different places of work? What is the frequency with which a diagnosis gives rise to a restrictive medical judgement with regard to the employee's work? The opportunities offered by this system for statistical evaluation are discussed with the aid of a few practical examples from the first half of 1989.