Development and Maturation of the Occupational Health Services Research Field in the United States over the Past 25 Years: Challenges and Opportunities for the Future

Details

• Personal Author:
  Franklin GM ; Fulton-Kehoe D ; Graves JM ; Hannon PA ; Harris JR ; McGovern, Patricia M. ; Sears JM ; Wickizer TM
• Description:
  Work is an important social determinant of health; unfortunately, work-related injuries remain prevalent, can have devastating impact on worker health, and can impose heavy economic burdens on workers and society. Occupational health services research (OHSR) underpins occupational health services policy and practice, focusing on health determinants, health services, healthcare delivery, and health systems affecting workers. The field of OHSR has undergone tremendous expansion in both definition and scope over the past 25 years. In this commentary, focusing on the US, we document the historical development and evolution of OHSR as a research field, describe current doctoral-level OHSR training, and discuss challenges and opportunities for the OHSR field. We also propose an updated definition for the OHSR field: Research and evaluation related to the determinants of worker health and well-being; to occupational injury and illness prevention and surveillance; to healthcare, health programs, and health policy affecting workers; and to the organization, access, quality, outcomes, and costs of occupational health services and related health systems. Researchers trained in OHSR are essential contributors to improvements in healthcare, health systems, and policy and programs to improve worker health and productivity, as well as equity and justice in job and employment conditions. We look forward to the continued growth of OHSR as a field and to the expansion of OHSR academic training opportunities. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Health Care Facilities Workforce And Services Occupational Health Safety Staff Development
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Health Services Research Education And Research Centers Environmental Health ERCs Health Services Occupational Health Policy Occupational Health Programs Occupational Health Services Research Total Worker Health Training TWH Worker Health Workers' Compensation

  More +
• ISSN:
  0271-3586
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Minnesota ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 5 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  66
• Issue:
  11
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20069221
• Citation:
  Am J Ind Med 2023 Nov; 66(11):996-1008
• Contact Point Address:
  Jeanne M. Sears, PhD, MS, RN, Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Box 357660, Seattle, WA 98195
• Email:
  jeannes@uw.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• Performing Organization:
  University of Washington
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• End Date:
  20250630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ad670504913eefa8d8156a55bc8cf4283eced4efb3f7feaf8a6506ec14c38fa52ec0d5dd388199e327a4ef48357397425733605ef6a43d5ab8ff8e11b9fa81dd
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/207744/cdc_207744_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.41 MB ]