Overview of occupational and environmental medicine

Session details

Date:

Time:

12:00pm - 1:30pm (Toronto time)

Location:

Zoom videoconferencing

Didactic presentation by:

Anil Adisesh

Session objectives

At the end of the session, participants should be able to:

  1. Describe the roles and functions of an occupational health team and those of occupational physicians
  2. Recognize the common categories of occupational medical conditions
  3. Explain the relationship between the occupational and environmental aspects of OEM

Session resources

AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Work Ability and Return to Work (book review)
A good book on return to work with definitions of restrictions and limitations. Source: Occupational Medicine Journal
Didactic presentation: Overview of occupational and environmental medicine
In this presentation, Dr. Anil Adisesh discusses the roles and functions of an occupational physician and occupational health teams, the common categories of occupational medical conditions and the relationship between the occupational and environmental aspects of OEM.
Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs)
Mortality does not give a complete picture of the burden of disease borne by individuals in different populations. The overall burden of disease is assessed using the disability-adjusted life year (DALY). Source: World Health Organization
ILO Diagnostic and exposure criteria for occupational diseases
The ILO has a long history in the identification of diseases as occupational for the purpose of their prevention and compensation. The List of Occupational Diseases Recommendation, 2002 (No. 194), adopted by the International Labour Conference in 2002, annexed a list of occupational diseases which was revised in 2010. The revised 2010 ILO List of Occupational Diseases represents the most recent ILO work in this regard. Source: International Labour Organization
Leisure Interest Assessment
The purpose of this assessment is to determine those leisure interests and to also develop new interests that the client can enjoy during their treatment and also upon their discharge, ensuring a greater quality of life throughout their leisure lifestyle. Source: Ross Assessments, Inc.
Ontario self-management program
Funded by the Champlain Local Health Integration Network, the Online Self-Management Program is made available Province-wide through a partnership between the Champlain Local Health Integration Network, Living Healthy Champlain, Bruyère Continuing Care, and the Regional Chronic Disease Self-Management Programs. Source: Self-Management Program of Ontario
Power Over Pain portal
Power Over Pain is a direct response to Health Canada's Action Plan for Pain in Canada. Our goal is to provide access to free resources in a one-stop shop. Resources include articles, videos, podcasts, courses, workshops, and peer support. We also link you to national and provincial services for health advice/counseling from healthcare professionals. Sourcec: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
The 'wing heeled' traveller
Kain T, Weinstein J, Thompson A, Boggild AK. The "wing-heeled" traveler. Trop Dis Travel Med Vaccines. 2020 Feb 18;6:2. doi: 10.1186/s40794-020-0103-y. PMID: 32099658; PMCID: PMC7029559.
The FIFE approach
The FIFE (F = FEELINGS I = IDEAS F = FUNCTIONING E = EXPECTATIONS) approach is one way to remind oneself to understand the patient’s disease and illness experience. Source: Queen's University School of Medicine
WSIB Community Mental Health Program
The Community Mental Health Program gives people access to psychological assessment and evidence-based, outcome-focused treatment and lets psychologists spend more time on treating people and less on administration. The WSIB and the Ontario Psychological Association collaborated in developing this program. The program provides a structured approach for service delivery in several phases, including intake/pre-authorization, assessment and treatment blocks, with corresponding reporting requirements, set reporting templates and blocked fee payments. Source: Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
WSIB Occupational Health Assessment Program (OHAP)
The Occupational health assessment program (OHAP) provides musculoskeletal assessments, mild traumatic brain Injury assessments and general clinical assessments and medication reviews. It also provides case consult services, and builds on our existing partnerships with public hospitals across the province. The OHAP creates a clear and effective continuum of care for people with work-related injuries, and improves integration across all WSIB programs and services. Source: Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
WSIB Specialty Programs
Our Specialty Programs provide timely access to expert specialists for people with work-related injuries or illnesses. These programs specialize in recovery and achieving a healthy and safe return to work by conducting an assessment and providing interdisciplinary treatment for more complex injuries and illnesses. Source: Workplace Safety and Insurance Board

About presenter

Dr. Anil Adisesh received his medical degrees at the University of Liverpool, UK. He is UK trained in general medicine, with UK accreditation in family medicine and UK specialty accreditation in occupational medicine. 

Adisesh worked as Deputy Chief Medical Officer at the UK Health and Safety Executive national laboratory, Buxton. He was subsequently appointed the inaugural JD Irving Limited, Research Chair in Occupational Medicine at Dalhousie University, and was later Associate Professor and Division Director of Occupational Medicine in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He was also Head of the Division of Occupational Medicine at St. Michael’s Hospital Toronto.

Case presentations

Most of the learning in ECHO happens through presenting and discussing case presentations. If you have a case you would like to present, please submit a completed case presentation form to the ECHO OEM project coordinator.

Physicians presenting a case may bill OHIP for case conferences (billing codes K707 or K701).