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ORIGINAL PAPER
Physicians’ knowledge on the work-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
 
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1
Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. J. Nofera / Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland (Oddział Chorób Zawodowych / Department of Occupational Diseases)
 
2
Uniwersytet Medyczny w Łodzi / Medical University of Lodz, Łódź, Poland (Oddział Pneumonologii i Alergologii / Department of Pneumonology and Allergy)
 
3
Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. J. Nofera / Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland (Zakład Epidemiologii Środowiskowej / Department of Environmental Epidemiology)
 
4
Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. J. Nofera / Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland (Dział Zarządzania Projektami, Innowacji i Wdrożeń / Department of Projects’ Management, Innovation and Implementation)
 
 
Corresponding author
Marta Wiszniewska   

Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. J. Nofera, Oddział Chorób Zawodowych, ul. św. Teresy 8, 91-348 Łódź
 
 
Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2016;67(3):375-84
 
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ABSTRACT
Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be induced by the work environment conditions. According to the estimates, 10–20% of all COPD cases are associated with occupational exposure to dusts and irritant gases. However, in 2014, only 11 cases of work-related COPD were recognized in Poland. The aim of the study was to analyze the reasons for the low incidence of work-related COPD in the context of pulmonologists’ knowledge about occupational risk factors and procedures on reporting suspected occupational diseases. Material and Methods: A survey included 94 pulmonologists randomly selected out of 225 specialists registered at the Local Physicians Chamber in Łódź. The study was performed anonymously with the use of original questionnaire. Results: More than a half of the surveyed pulmonologists identified environmental risk factors for COPD correctly, while only 23.4% properly identified the main occupational risk factors as the cause of COPD. Only 58.5% of the pulmonologists always asked their patients suffering from COPD about their job/profession and 60.6% of them did not have any knowledge about procedures on reporting suspected occupational diseases. Conclusions: The physicians rarely ask patients suffering from COPD about their job/profession and the relationship between their ailments and occupational exposure. What is more, they do not know legal regulations on proper referral of a patient with a suspected case of occupational disease. The results of the study clearly indicate that there is an urgent need for increasing pulmonologists’ knowledge on work-related COPD. Med Pr 2016;67(3):375–384
eISSN:2353-1339
ISSN:0465-5893
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