Linking occupational health and primary health care in Italy: an urgent need

A significant component of the workforce has not an access to occupational health and safety even in the fully developed countries. The most disadvantaged workers’ subgroups are engaged in small size enterprises, informal economy, agriculture. Among these sectors, migrant and seasonal workers are particularly affected by the problem. Very often for these workers the only health care provider is represented by the general practitioner. On the other hand, migrant workers are very often unaware of the possibilities of access to the health care system and, in particular in the first two-three years after migration, do not use the general practitioner as a primary health care provider, accessing the health care system only through the emergency divisions of the hospitals for cases of acute events, such as accidents. In this light, it is easy to argue that the first contact between individuals and public health system is represented by general practitioners and occupational health physician and very often, for disadvantaged workers’ subgroups, these two professionals are not always available. In conclusion, in particular conditions and for specific purposes, it is necessary to incorporate occupational health in primary health care, having in mind that the collaboration between general practitioner and occupational health physician can be developed at different level. Among these levels, the first is represented by training and education: general practitioner must become aware of the basic principles of occupational diseases diagnosis and prevention, and this objective can be reached only through adequate interventions on university curricula. A second emerging need is represented by the possibility of sharing patients’ files between the two different professionals. This needs is potentially fulfilled in the new electronic systems nowadays available, in which patients data are stored by general practitioner and in which is possible to promote the mutual consultation and data implementation.