Typical occupational diseases in healthcare based on a questionnaire survey

Abstract

Occupational safety for healthcare workers has undergone significant changes over the centuries, shaped by advances in medical science, technological innovations and shifts in social attitudes. Current challenges in occupational health care for healthcare workers include global pandemics (e.g. COVID-19), the ageing of the medical workforce, and growing psychosocial pressure. Future developments should pay particular attention to protecting mental health, advancing protective equipment technology, and reducing workplace risks. Work in the healthcare sector is considered a highly hazardous field, and employees must face numerous risks, including biological and chemical hazards, the psychological risks arising from overload, ionising radiation, and the strain caused by physical workload and night work alike (Dudás, 2019). These risks can contribute significantly to the development of various occupational diseases. The aim of this research is to review the most common occupational diseases characteristic of healthcare workers and their risk factors, to assess the health status of employees using a questionnaire-based method, to highlight the problems arising during everyday work, and to shed light on strategies that can be applied for their prevention.