Integrated approach to health screening of former department of energy workers detects both occupational and non-occupational illness

Abstract

Background: The National Supplemental Screening Program (NSSP) uses a Total Worker Health(TM) approach to address U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) former worker health. This article provides the design of the integrated occupational health screening and promotion program.

Methods: The NSSP implemented a web-based relational health records system to process demographic, exposure, and clinical data. We present medical findings for 12,000 DOE former workers that completed an initial NSSP medical screening between October 1, 2005 and October 4, 2013. We discuss the DOE former worker participant population and the exposure-based and non-occupational medical screening tests used.

Results: The NSSP identified potential occupationally related health conditions in 40.5% of those screened. Notably, we identified 85.8% of participants with addressable non-occupational health conditions, many of which were previously undiagnosed.

Conclusion: The NSSP demonstrates that the identification of potential occupational health issues in conjunction with addressable non-occupational health conditions provides former workers with information to more effectively manage health.

Keywords: DOE; exposure-based; former worker; integrated; non-occupational; occupational.