Occupational health physicians' interventions based on the decision-making process for corporate health policies and company-employee needs: An exploratory study

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The topic of occupational health physicians' specific interventions for deciding on corporate health measures has not been researched. Such interventions are necessary in corporate decision-making and for considering the needs of the company and its employees. We examined the aspects and methods of occupational health services that facilitate corporate decision-making regarding health measures. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 certified occupational health physicians involved in the planning of health measures at 10 companies. Data were analyzed qualitatively and inductively using Berelson's content analysis method. RESULTS: We divided 144 items corresponding to the research theme into three categories: organizational decision-making process in health measures, occupational health physician interventions, and complementary factors concerning interventions. The interventions were further categorized as follows: building relationships, promoting mutual understanding; consensus-building process, coordination; visualization company needs based on hypotheses; and integrated planning and proposals. The study identified specific intervention methods of each category. DISCUSSIONS: Aspects and methods that facilitate decision-making in occupational health services were as follows: 1) understanding the scope of consensus formation and its impact based on the characteristics of corporate decision-making regarding health measures and premises of decision maker; 2) improving awareness about occupational health by consistently presenting information on occupational health, translating it to be necessary for corporate management. Occupational health professionals, mainly occupational health physicians, are expected to contribute to health policy decisions while utilizing the method clarified in this study.