[Evaluation of permanent disability levels in occupational pulmonary diseases]

Rev Mal Respir. 2019 Mar;36(3):307-325. doi: 10.1016/j.rmr.2018.07.007. Epub 2019 Mar 20.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Compensation for occupational pulmonary diseases requires the establishment of guidelines based on standardized and objective criteria, in order to provide compensation that is as fair as possible to patients who suffer from them. A review of the elements necessary for the examination of an individual file was carried out by a working group. It is accepted that respiratory functional exploration is the key element in assessing the level of permanent disability in all of these conditions, with the exception of thoracic malignancies. Guiding scales have been developed for the respiratory impairment of three types of conditions: occupational asthma, thoracic malignancy, and other respiratory diseases. Additional criteria for increasing the permanent disability level are also proposed in order to take into account professional prejudice, in particular the possibility or not of continuing the occupational activity, in the same job or after changing to another. For certain respiratory diseases, a periodic reassessment of the initially attributed permanent disability level is recommended as well as the initial one at the time of definitive cessation of occupational activity.

Keywords: Asthma; Asthme; Cancer bronchopulmonaire; Compensation; Exploration fonctionnelle respiratoire; Indemnisation; Lung cancer; Maladie professionnelle; Occupational disease; Pneumoconioses; Pneumoconiosis; Pulmonary function.

MeSH terms

  • Asthma / diagnosis
  • Asthma / economics
  • Asthma / epidemiology
  • Diagnostic Imaging
  • Disability Evaluation*
  • Exercise Test
  • Humans
  • Lung Diseases / complications
  • Lung Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Lung Diseases / economics
  • Lung Diseases / epidemiology
  • Lung Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Lung Neoplasms / economics
  • Lung Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Occupational Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Occupational Diseases / epidemiology
  • Persons with Disabilities
  • Respiratory Function Tests / methods
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Work Capacity Evaluation
  • Workers' Compensation