Program > Friday > 10:30 > Session 3. Retour au travail permanent (1 de 3)

Paper: Return-to-work program for workers with contact dermatitis – initial results

Author(s) and Affiliation(s):
D Linn Holness: Dalla Lana School of Public Health and Department of Medicine, University of Toronto; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health at St Michael's Hospital, Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease
Irena Kudla: Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health at St Michael's Hospital, Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease
Pilar Gomez: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health at St Michael's Hospital
Grace Wozniak: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health at St Michael's Hospital
Lynette Dilworth: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health at St Michael's Hospital
Joel DeKoven: Department of Medicine, University of Toronto; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health at St Michael's Hospital, Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease
Sandy Skotnicki-Grant: Department of Medicine, University of Toronto; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health at St Michael's Hospital, Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease
Session : 3. Retour au travail permanent (1 de 3)
Day/Time: Friday at 10:30
Room: St. Patrick Room, 3rd Floor
Objectives:

There has been little research concerning return to work (RTW) in workers with contact dermatitis. The objective of this study is to describe the results of a RTW program for workers with contact dermatitis attending the Occupational Disease Specialty Program. The RTW program is led by a RTW co-ordinator and includes a multidisciplinary clinical team of dermatologists, an occupational medicine physician, an occupational hygienist, a nurse, a patch test technician and administrative support.

Methods:

A retrospective chart review was carried out of workers attending the Occupational Disease Specialty Program at St Michael’s Hospital for assessment and management of work-related contact dermatitis who utilized the services of the RTW program from August 2006 to June 2008. Basic demographic information, return-to-work interventions and barriers and facilitators of RTW were abstracted and a basic descriptive analysis was performed.

Results:

Eighty-one workers participated in the RTW program. 59% were male and the mean age was 48. 59% had a diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis and 64% had irritant contact dermatitis. At entry to the program the mean time off work was 180 days with a range from 4 days to 2.6 years. Initially 40% were off work because of their dermatitis, at discharge and follow-up only 15% were not working because of their dermatitis. Particular components of the RTW intervention included avoidance of exposure, RTW trial and graduated RTW, a personal protective equipment prescription and skin status monitoring.

Conclusions:

There is little information in the literature regarding RTW in workers with contact dermatitis. The use of a multidisciplinary RTW program assisted with RTW for these workers. In addition to usual RTW practices and barriers and facilitators, those specific to contact dermatitis were identified.