Is the medical community ready for worker notification?

Abstract

Although the potential for early detection of disease has been of central importance in the evolution of worker notification policy and practice, it is not the only positive outcome of medical intervention. The provider-patient encounter also creates an important opportunity for patient-centered risk communication that may result in workplace modifications as well as lifestyle changes to reduce the likelihood of subsequent illness and injury--both work and nonwork related. At the same time, it may signal the beginning of a series of social, legal, and political actions that may have positive or negative consequences for notified workers. This article identifies several important roles for members of the medical community relating to worker and community notification programs and explores the readiness of health care professionals in assuming these roles. It is suggested that health care providers lack both the training and sociopolitical sensitivity needed for meaningful participation in the notification process. This article addresses possible short-term and long-term approaches to enhancing the readiness of health care providers and suggests that effective intervention with notified workers requires a willingness to step beyond the confines of the medical model.