Research on Appropriate Use of the Workers' Health Information

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This research aimed to compose a guideline to balance protection and use of workers' health information at workplaces.From May to August in 2005, we conducted a survey targeting 423 health supervisors of companies in 6 principal cities in Japan to reveal their compliance to the Personal Information Protection Law (response rate 84%). In December 2005, we asked 363 occupational health physicians (60%) certified by Japan Society of Occupational Health concerning their opinion and current status on handling workers' health information. From November 2006 to January 2007, we also asked 210 occupational health physicians (47%), 2,059 health supervisors (35%), and 144 safety and health staffs of labor unions (27%) regarding their opinion on the contents of medical examination stipulated by the Industrial Safety and Health Law and Law on Securing of Medical Care for Elderly Persons. Besides, we collected problems concerning health information in occupational health services from 12 occupational health physicians and explored the solutions with 5 specialists on health information.We found, 1) Health supervisors are expected to support part-time medical staff in handling health information, 2) Opinions differed depending on the type of health information. 3) The opinion and the real practice were inconsistent. In health examination, blood pressure was the best used for modifying work. We composed 75 solutions to the collected problems ; information collection 15, utilization 27, provision 14, consignment 4, security 10, disposal 2, disclosure 2, education 1, and formulated a guideline to appropriately balance protection and use health information of the workers. These knowledge were publicized by a booklet titled "Workplace and Health Information," Occupational Health Promotion Foundation, and by a book titled "Handbook for Protection and Use of Private Information in Occupational Health," Hoken.