[Costs and benefits of medical prevention in small enterprises].

The current transformation of Polish economy towards free market compels a rational management of resources and more effective instruments for the cost-benefit control in small enterprises. One of the most important areas of activities in small enterprises is the promotion of medical prevention at the workplace. Employers are committed to ensure that all workers have access and benefit from medical prevention, as well as to bear all costs involved in prevention programmes, periodical prophylactic examinations, and actions aimed at promoting workers' health and improving working conditions. Planning these improvements, health certificates and recommendations resulting from the evaluation of working conditions should be taken into consideration. New legal regulations create the ground for employers to choose the most effective and appropriate measures for providing preventive care. The aim of the study was to elaborate and implement the cost-benefit analysis of medical prevention activities in enterprises, thought as one of decision-making tools to be used by employers. The principles of the cost-benefit analysis in enterprises algorithm of proceedings and the instructions how the analysis should be implemented, were elaborated. In addition, a supportive computer system was developed. The cost-benefit analysis was already implemented as a pilot project in several enterprises what helped to modify the method and collect numerical data necessary to perform the analysis and to define the scope of its application.