The Occupational Health Branch (OHB) of the California Department of Health Services (DHS) proposes to further develop and enhance its surveillance system for the detection and prevention of occupational carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). For the past two years, we have been conducting CTS case ascertainment and performing selected work site investigations. We propose to enhance the current CTS surveillance system by expanding and evaluating case ascertainment tools; conducting telephone interviews of workers in high risk industries and occupations; increasing case-based field investigations, hazard identification, and prevention activities; and using the results of these efforts to foster prevention activities. This comprehensive system will use the existing SENSOR case definition and will employ protocols and methodologies easily adopted as a model by other states. The program will expand data collection to include electronically transmitted workers' compensation data, which will update our system to be consistent with national trends in information transfer and create a model more easily adopted by other states. Workers with CTS in high-risk industries and occupations will be interviewed by telephone using a standardized questionnaire to identify risk factors that can lead to prevention strategies. Work site investigations will be expanded in order to identify prevention methods and hazard reduction. Findings from all activities will be widely disseminated in the form of reports, educational materials, and scientific publications. The proposed enhanced surveillance program will be evaluated using established criteria such as timeliness, sensitivity, simplicity, flexibility, representativeness and acceptability. By building on the solid foundation of current surveillance activities, we believe we can achieve the goal of building a model work-related carpal tunnel surveillance program that can be used to prevent this important occupational disease in California and in other states.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Type
Research Project--Cooperative Agreements (U01)
Project #
1U01OH007297-01
Application #
6314670
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZOH1-MJG (07))
Project Start
2000-09-30
Project End
2003-09-29
Budget Start
2000-09-30
Budget End
2001-09-29
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2000
Total Cost
$113,460
Indirect Cost
Name
Public Health Institute
Department
Type
DUNS #
128663390
City
Oakland
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94607