Communication issues in a multicomponent study of semiconductor employees

A variety of methods were used to address communication problems in the Semiconductor Health Study (SHS). The diverse employee population required investigators to consider language, ethnic, and cultural differences in planning and implementing the study design. Studies of reproductive health in the workplace raise special concerns, including the critical need to preserve confidentiality and privacy of subjects. Notification of results of epidemiological studies reporting workplace hazards requires sensitivity to needs of workers. SHS investigators directly communicated overall results of this multicomponent study to participating employees at all sites and notified subjects of results of individual industrial hygiene monitoring and endocrine hormone assays.