Designing prevention-oriented software for workplace health and safety.
Rapid changes in technology and health services organization are propelling information-driven decision making in all aspects of business. The potential of electronic data processing to reduce costs and increase efficiency has been heralded, but disease and injury prevention have received scant attention. Prevention-oriented software for surveillance and disability management must generate population- and case-level measures of magnitude and severity of occupational injury and illness. A public domain program, called WIZARD, was developed as a model. With 12 data elements, it generates, from injury and employment files, injury- and return-to-work rates, avoidable costs, attributable cases using several reference rates, and case lists from screening criteria. In conjunction with an explicit case definition, screening criteria for case follow-up, and guidelines for medical, disability, and health and safety management, software can play a significant role in prevention.
Maizlish
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D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019090:Case Management; D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016272:Occupational Health; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012984:Software; D012985:Software Design