Occupational health examinations of patients in Norway

In 2009, the hospital departments of occupational medicine and the National Institute of Occupational Health established a joint, anonymous examination register. The objective was to achieve a better overview of occupational health examinations of patients in Norway, including changes in occupationally related exposure and illness over time.

After the patient consultation the examining doctor completes a form, which is subsequently registered electronically. This article is based on analyses of patient examinations registered in the period 2010 – 2015.

A total of 8 775 patient examinations had been recorded. The majority of those examined were men (75 %) and the most commonly occurring age group was 50 – 69 years (52 %). The most frequent exposures involved irritants/allergens (18 %) and organic solvents (15 %), which were recorded in a slightly increasing and slightly declining frequency respectively through the period. Manufacturing and mining were the top industries (30 %). The most common symptom organs were the lungs/respiratory tract (57 %), with asthma, COPD and lung cancer as the most frequent diagnoses. The proportion of cases that were deemed to be likely or possibly related to work remained stable at 40 % and 23 % respectively. At the time of the examination altogether 16 % of the patients were receiving sickness benefit, 10 % were receiving work assessment allowance and 13 % disability benefit.

Occupationally related illness entails significant consequences for individuals as well as society. The examination register provides a good overview of the patient examinations in the occupational health departments in Norway and may reveal changes in occupationally related exposure over time. In this way, the register may contribute to targeted preventive efforts.