title: [Settling times for occupational diseases reported to the National Board of Industrial Injuries].
abstract: A representative sample of 151 cases notified to the National Board of Industrial Injuries on a suspicion of an occupational disease were studied with respect to time from notification to final settlement of the case. 50% were settled within 5.5 months, and 75% within 10 months. Settling times were longer for cases accepted for compensation than for dismissed cases. The time used to investigate a case constituted an increasing proportion of the total settling time with increasing settling times. For cases with a settling time of more than nine months, approximately half of the time consisted of waiting time to obtain required information from external sources. It is concluded that a substantial reduction of cases with long settling times depends on a reduction of external expedition times for obtaining required information. The medical profession can contribute to the reduction of settling times by elucidating the case meticulously at the time of notification and by reducing expedition times for requisitions for information.
authors.affiliation: Københavns Amts Sygehus i Glostrup, arbejdsmedicinsk klinik.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mikkelsen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stokkeby
mesh_terms: D003718:Denmark; D006801:Humans; D007344:Insurance Claim Reporting; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors