Prise en charge des allergies professionnelles dans les services de prévention en santé au travail dans le département des Bouches-du-Rhône : enquête de satisfaction auprès des médecins du travail et proposition d’un projet innovant

Abstract

Aim of the study

To study the preventive management of employees exposed to the risk of occupational allergy and occupational physicians’ satisfaction in the Bouches-du-Rhône department. The secondary objective was to study occupational physicians’ interest in an innovative project to set up an occupational allergy unit within the occupational health prevention department.

Patients and methods

Descriptive, cross-sectional epidemiological study including occupational physicians working in an occupational health prevention service in the Bouches-du-Rhône who responded to the questionnaire.

Results

According to the 50 occupational physicians who took part in the study, the preventive management of occupational allergies in their department was judged to be in need of improvement (88%, i.e. 44 of occupational physicians). Primary prevention (n = 37 or 74%) is most concerned along with secondary prevention (n = 33 or 66%). Tertiary prevention was considered to be improvable to a lesser extent (n = 24 or 48%). The majority of occupational physicians (n = 32 or 64%) believe that the presence of this unit would be beneficial in improving the management of occupational allergies within their occupational health department.

Conclusion

A majority of occupational physicians consider that practice can be improved, mainly in terms of primary and secondary prevention. The high level of support for the innovative project among occupational health physicians justifies its creation within the occupational health prevention department. In the future, the project will be evaluated to prove its usefulness and relevance.