Hospital employees: corridor consultations or health maintenance.

Abstract

The creation of an employee health program in a hospital is a logical step in the provision of a fringe benefit to underpaid and frequently aged and disabled workers. The needs for medical surveillance in the hospital situation are multifold and relate to the builtin hazards of the operation of patient care. These hazards include infectious disease (tuberculosis, Q fever, homologous serum jaundice, staphylococcic infections, and other bacterial, viral, rickettsial, parasitic, and fungus disorders), contact dermatoses, ionizing radiation, and patient-induced trauma and other injuries. Estimation of the work capacity of applicants for work, medical preparation of accepted applicant for work, maintenance and improvement of health status of employees, medical supervision of the work environment, and medical care for illness and injury, compromise an ideal health service.