Prevention and rehabilitation

Abstract

Due to the considerable medical and socio-economic relevance of OSD, effective prevention strategies have been developed for wet-work and other high risk professions in the context of a hierarchical prevention concept (primary-secondary-tertiary prevention). Interdisciplinary prevention programs for OSD have successfully been implemented in recent years with the aim of reducing the incidence of OSD, achieving continuation of the occupation, decrease the costs for tax-payers and insurance systems and increase of the quality of life of the affected persons. Further studies to evaluate the clinical and economic outcome of preventive measures are needed. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2000, 2012.