Proposal of an analytical method based on ELECTRE TRI to assist in establishing causal links in occupational diseases.

Abstract

Introduction: Establishing a causal relationship between disease and work is a complex cognitive decision-making process whose effectiveness depends on the technical expertise of the physician in charge. A structured method to assist in this process could have significant practical applicability.

Objectives: To develop an analytical method to support better decision-making regarding the establishment of a causal relationship between health status and occupational activities.

Methods: The Design Science Research methodology was employed. In the knowledge exploration phase, the existence of analytical methods for determining a causal relationship between illness and work was investigated, along with multicriteria decision analysis techniques that could support the development of a new method. The ELECTRE TRI classification technique was selected as the basis for the analytical framework. To assess operability of the classification method, 27 simulated problem situations were analyzed. The results were found to be easy to analyze, classified as Certain, Extremely Likely, Very Likely, Likely, Plausible, Slightly Plausible, Slightly Likely, Unlikely, and Impossible. To assess efficiency, 27 case series were distributed across three questionnaires.

Results: The questionnaires were completed by 56 physicians, generating a total of 504 classifications.

Conclusions: By comparing the classifications assigned by the proposed method with those assigned by physicians, it was concluded that the developed method is not only innovative and practical but also an effective tool for assisting in decision-making regarding the establishment of causal relationships in occupational diseases.