Prevalence of occupational morbidity among healthcare workers in the Russian Federation and abroad (literature review)

Abstract

This article presents a literary review devoted to one of the urgent topics affecting the occupational morbidity of medical workers - as one of their socially significant occupational cohorts. The proposed assessment is based on the publications of many domestic and foreign authors’ studies. The structure of the primary nosological forms typical for healthcare workers, such as extralegal and pulmonary tuberculosis, parenteral viral hepatitis, bronchial asthma, contact dermatitis, etc., is considered. The leading role of a biological factor in the formation of occupational pathology in the considered cohort is noted. Many publications provide information on the reasonably widespread prevalence among physicians of diseases caused by occupational stress and the role of the psychophysiological factor. Numerous international studies show that doctors have a high incidence of mental health problems, including depression and anxiety, which may be associated with overuse in the workplace. Specializations in which medical workers are most susceptible to high occupational risk are noted. A comparative analysis of the prevalence of occupational diseases in individual constituent entities of the Russian Federation with an indication of regional characteristics in terms of the majority of occupational diseases and foreign countries is presented. Special attention is paid to the formation of the trade union service and its historical aspects. The professional activity of medical workers is one of the most challenging and responsible, which is because the conditions of their work, as well as the state of health, are interconnected with the quality of the care they provide and determine the final result of their activity - the patient’s health. Despite the achieved results in identifying harmful production factors, the diagnosis of occupational diseases remains relatively low. Despite the growing interest in occupational diseases among health workers, studies on the incidence of this contingent in Russia are still insufficient, and an analysis of the few available sources indicates the absence of official data and complete information regarding occupational morbidity.