De bedrijfsarts: dokter zonder patiëntenzorg?

In the Netherlands there is a lack of collaboration between occupational and treating physicians. This is due to legislation dating from a century ago determining that treating physicians are not allowed to advise about work capacity and return-to-work and that occupational physicians are not allowed to treat patients. Recently the Dutch Health Council urged improvement of the collaboration for the sake of the health and work participation of patients. There is much scientific evidence that work is good for health and prevents social exclusion. An example of integrated occupational and curative care is presented: care delivered by a multidisciplinary team including an occupational physician demonstrated that patients with work disability due to chronic back pain returned to work 4 months earlier in a sustainable way and that they also functioned better in their private life. Integrated care is also important for society: there is a return on investment of € 26 for every euro. The author pleads that occupational health care should be brought into mainstream health care with a work participation as a shared treatment goal.

Conflict of interest: none declared. Financial support: none declared.