[Program of scientific research in the field of occupational medicine 1986-1990]

Changes in the system of research planning and co-ordination in Poland promoted the development of centrally supervised programs with preferences in financial terms. Of 100 centrally supervised programs, four are related to medical sciences, in this one--to occupational health. The research program, accepted after a profound discussion, has been mainly directed towards: progress in reliable evaluations of work environment in national economy; establishment of interrelationships between work conditions and workers' health in many industrial branches; and development and enforcement of effective preventive measures. Priority is given to the following research trends, the results of which may significantly affect the efficiency of health- and preventive care rendered to workers: development and control of new methods for early diagnosis of health lesions prior to clinical pathology and prior to the occurrence of work disablement, whether temporary or durable; development and enforcement of methods allowing to single out workers susceptible to the effects of particular environmental hazards with the aim of avoiding unforeseeable health effects of occupational exposure. determination and verification of conditions promoting the effectiveness of the primary health care for workers covered by the industrial health service. development and verification, under model conditions, of the principles of organizing and functioning of the primary health care, especially preventive care, for workers of small plants which hitherto have not been covered by the industrial health service. development of a more effective--than the hitherto functioning--system of rehabilitation for disabled people, especially occupational rehabilitation being accomplished at special workplaces. A detailed list of goals planned to be achieved up till 1990 has been attached to the complete version of the paper.