Self assessment - a tool for improving health and occupational health services for entrepreneurs

Introduction  In Finland, occupational health service (OHS) covers about 90% of employees, entrepreneurs and those who are working in micro scale enterprises (MSE) being mostly outside of it (coverage 10-30%). Entrepreneurs are not paying attention to their own health and wellbeing. They do not know OHS and its' benefits. Costs of OHS are seen too high. On the other hand OHS itself is seeing the workload of MSE services too high compared with the money these are willing to pay. Limited resources of OHS are preventing the selling of OHS to new clients.     Methods  A self assessment form was developed to increase awareness of entrepreneurs and MSEs about healthy working conditions and lifestyle and to activate them to start improvements either by themselves or with the support of OHS. In the hand of OHS form acts as a follow-up and selection tool of clients health and working conditions. The form is available in www.syty2000.fi in Finnish, Swedish and English.    Results  MSE:s and entrepreneurs are increasingly taking care of themselves and buying OHS for themselves. The form helps OHS to focus on support-needing clients without forgetting regular follow-up of other clients' health and working conditions.     Discussion  MSE's and self-employed's own responsibility of their health and working conditions has risen by the use of this self assessment form. The OHS has changed their activities from curative to more preventive direction and this made possible to point its' resources to those who really need support. This new way to do things has also released OHS resources for new clients and at the same time the cost-benefit ratio of OHS has increased. SWOT-analyse of the method will be discussed.