Integrative Programme Occupation and Health

Status:

ongoing

Aims:

A co-operation between the health insurance and the accident insurance, which are two separate branches of the German social security system, has been required by law lately with respect to the identification of work related health hazards. The general aim of IPAG therefore is to develop strategies and systematic approaches to build up resources and networks for co-operation.

Activities/Methods:

IPAG is divided into four work packages. 1) Small companies face special problems in work protection and health promotion. In order to learn about these specific problems and to promote a adaptation of knowledge about preventive measures, experts of the health and accident insurance will have to be brought in contact with companies and local business representatives. 2) Job specific proposals for the prevention of work related health hazards will be derived after specific problems are identified by the co-operating partners and data analysis. 3) In Germany several different health insurance institutions exist and health reports for jobs or industrial sectors are based on sickness leave data of the respective members only. Consequently, only fractions of the working populations are addressed by these health reports. Aim of this working package therefore is to establish procedures of a health reporting which comprises data of all relevant health insurance institutions. 4) Health reports in Germany are typically set up exclusively from sickness leave data, although several diseases and health complaints usually do not lead to absence from work. A feasibility study as to whether other data, which are routinely hold by social security institutions for administrative purposes, are supplementary suitable to detect work related health hazards is finally a working package of IPAG also.

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