1. Program schedule

Ethics and legal issues in occupational medicine

Session details

Date:

Time:

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

Location:

Zoom videoconferencing

Didactic presentation by:

Nikhil Rajaram

Session objectives

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

  1. Anticipate the inherent conflicts related to work and health that may arise for health care providers
  2. Recognize the role that health care providers play in helping their clients/patients navigate systems related to work and health
  3. Recall some of the system supports that exist to aid both workers and health care providers involved in their care

Session resources

Cognitive-Psychosocial Job Demand Analysis
A cognitive-psychosocial job demands analysis is used to outline the cognitive demands and psychological factors that pertain to specific roles in an organization. Source: Workers' Compensation Board Alberta
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Ethics and Legal Issues in Occupational Medicine: Some Resources to Consider
A list of resources curated by didactic presenter Dr. Nik Rajaram to support decision making around ethical and legal issues in practice.
Download the PDF(26.3 KB)
Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy
Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy focuses on establishing regular routines and stabilizing circadian rhythm to help prevent depressive symptoms. Source: Wikipedia
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Mandatory and permissive reporting
Physicians have a legal and professional obligation to maintain the confidentiality of patient information. There are circumstances, however, where physicians are either required or permitted to report particular events or clinical conditions to the appropriate government or regulatory agency. This policy sets out circumstances that may require or permit physicians to make a report. The policy does not represent an exhaustive list of physicians’ legal responsibilities, nor is it a substitute for legal advice regarding reporting obligations. Source: College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
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Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP)
The WRAP process supports people to identify the tools that keep them well and create action plans to put them into practice in their everyday life. All along the way, WRAP helps people incorporate key recovery concepts and wellness tools into their plans and life. Source: WRAP
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What to consider when seeing patients with work-related health concerns
Rajaram N, Hudon, S, Afanasyeva M. (2024). What to consider when seeing patients with work-related health concerns. British Columbia Medical Journal, 66(6), 198-201. Source: BCMJ
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About presenter

Dr. Nikhil Rajaram is currently the Provincial Physician at the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. He is also a Clinical Assistant Professor with the Division of Occupational Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, and is cross-appointed as an Adjunct Professor with the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. Rajaram is also currently serving as Vice President of the Occupational and Environmental Medical Association of Canada.

Rajaram’s main area of work is on occupational health and safety, focusing on the application of medicine and population health sciences to the prevention of occupational illness and injury. He is certified as a subspecialist in Occupational Medicine, as a specialist in Public Health and Preventive Medicine and certified in Family Medicine, and has a Master of Public Health degree in epidemiology, all from the University of 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).