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Abstract Introduction NIOSH defines a Total Worker Health® (TWH) approach as “policies, programs, and practices that integrate protection from work-related safety and health hazards with promotion of injury and illness-prevention efforts to advance worker well-being”, thus confirming work as a fundamental determinant of human health. Methods The Italian Ministry of Health recently funded the “Italian Total Worker Health” (ITWH) project, involving 16 units from seven Italian regions: eight hospitals, two universities, two local health authorities, two regional governments, one regional epidemiology department, and the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL). This four-year project is led by the Lombardy Region and coordinated by the Milan Policlinico Hospital. Results ITWH has eight specific objectives: 1) to describe the current state of the art regarding TWH; 2) to potentiate the already existing INAIL network (and related platform) of occupational health outpatient clinics (Marel); 3) to create a novel IT platform for company doctors and local health authorities, integrating occupational safety and health and TWH elements; 4) to homogeneously train on TWH topics at national level; 5) to gather and anonymously analyze data from objectives 2 and 3 platforms; 6) to implement TWH programs in selected workplaces; 7) to monitor and evaluate efficacy of TWH programs; 8) to disseminate project methods and results. Discussion This is the first project in Italy aiming to create a national Occupational Medicine network to foster the well-being of workers according to a TWH approach. Conclusion The Congress will have the opportunity to share results from project activities of the first year.
Carugno et al. (Mon,) studied this question.