P-182 a Comparison of Referrals to an Occupational Health Department According to Source

Introduction Occupational health nurses are often are the first point of contact for health related queries within a workplace and can initiate targeted health assessment where necessary. To my knowledge there is no empirical evidence to suggest that the presence of an occupational health nurse within an organisation facilitates early referral and management of work related illness. This study aims to determine whether the source of referral to the occupational health department is a relevant factor with regard to the early intervention and management of work related illnesses. Methods A content analysis of referral documents comparing occupational health nurse referrals and managerial referrals to an occupational health provider in Cork, Ireland, was performed over a 10 day period retrospectively. Data was anonymised and collated in an excel worksheet. Data was analysed using SPSS statistical software.“ Results 78 referrals for initial assessment in the occupational health department were identified. 28 referrals were excluded due to the absence of adequate referral documents. Referral source did not appear to be a significant variable with regard to whether the person was in work, the timing of referral since onset, the nature of illness, or whether the health issue was work related. Discussion This content analysis did not reveal any significant variation between nurse and managerial referrals to the occupational health department. Conclusion The findings of this study suggest that referrals to the occupational health department may be devolved to the appropriate line manager thereby allowing nurses to prioritise evidence based health interventions in an organisational setting.