Occupational Medicine & Health Affairs
Open Access

Abstract

This presentation highlights the advantages of pre-employment medical examination. Recently value of pre-employment medical examination has been questioned in developed countries since there is lack of trials and evidence related to health outcomes from it. The aim is to determine the rate of newly diagnosed chronic diseases among Qatar Petroleum (QP) potential employees and to compare the rates between employees from developing countries and developed nations (GCC countries, Western countries). Using cross sectional method, this study utilized pre-employment medical examination data available in QP Medical Services. During 3 months period 679 candidates underwent pre-employment medical, 499 belonging to developing countries and 280 from other developed countries. Health data and laboratory results scrutinized to identify the newly diagnosed cases of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and Hypertension (HTN) for both groups. In the study group (developed countries): 37 cases of DM, 29 is newly diagnosed (7.25%) and 31 cases HTN, 27 newly diagnosed (6.75%), in compare with control group 24 case of DM, 7 is newly diagnosed (2.5%) and 19 HTN cases 4 newly diagnosed (1.4%). The odds ratio of newly discovered DM in the two groups during the pre-employment medical is OR 3.057 95% CI (1.319 to 7.081). Odds ratio of newly discovered HTN in the two groups during the pre-employment medical is OR: 5.01, 95% CI (1.732 to 14.478). Although the value of pre-employment medical has been questioned in developed countries, we noticed a positive health outcome to the group from developing countries.

Biography

Ahmad Latif is a Physician Web Editor and Author with a special interest in workplace health promotion. He worked for Qatar Petroleum Occupational Health Division; Head of workplace health promotion program since 2008 and web editor of fittowork.net; a worker?s wellness website. He received his MBBS degree from The Damascus University and holds a degree in Internal Medicine from Ministry of Health, Damascus Hospital, Syria, and diploma in Occupational Medicine from the Royal College of Physicians of London. He served in several hospitals and healthcare centers in Syria, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.