[Primary Health Care and Occupational Health. Results from a survey on general practitioners of the Province of Monza and Brianza].

BACKGROUND

The World Health Organization has been asking for greater collaboration between occupational medicine and primary care for many years.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the knowledge of general practitioners (GPs) working in a province of Lombardy about occupational health issues and their experiences with work-related problems among their patients.

METHODS

Data were collected by telephone interview to GPs, using a 25-item questionnaire.

RESULTS

111 GPs answered to the questionnaire (66.5% of the sample). Only 34.2% of the doctors knew the current regulation of occupational medicine in Italy. The GPs considered that the main work-related disease among their patients were musculoskeletal disorders and work-related stress. 90% of doctors stated to have sent at least one of their patients to an occupational medicine clinic. Only 9% declared to have notified at least one occupational disease. Among GPs who suggested how to improve the relationship between primary care and occupational medicine, 44% proposed training courses on this topic. Only 16.2% said to have attended an occupational health course during university studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Italian GPs have poor knowledge about occupational medicine and they also have difficult relationships with occupational health physicians. Initiatives to improve cooperation between these two sectors are desirable.