Cooperation among clinics and practices

Abstract

Preventive measures in occupational dermatology have proven to be very effective in recent years, especially measures of primary and secondary prevention as components of a complex hierarchical prevention concept. For those cases of occupational dermatoses in which these outpatient prevention measures are not successful, interdisciplinary inpatient rehabilitation measures have been developed (''tertiary individual prevention'' [TIP]). TIP comprises 3 weeks inpatient treatment including intensive disease-oriented teaching and psychological counseling, followed by outpatient treatment by the local dermatologist. In 2005, a German prospective cohort multicenter study (aEuroMedizinisch-Berufliches Rehabilitationsverfahren Haut - Optimierung und Qualitatssicherung des Heilverfahrens'' [ROQ]) started which will further standardize TIP and evaluate long-term success and scientific sustainability in depth. This integrated concept of an inpatient/outpatient disease management reveals remarkable pertinent options for patients with severe occupational dermatoses in all high-risk professions.