Surveillance of Occupational Lung Diseases in Canada

Surveillance programs for occupational lung diseases are reviewed, with reference to a two-year pilot study that was undertaken in the province of British Columbia. Members of the British Columbia Thoracic Society were invited to participate by reporting any new cases of occupational lung disease in each two-month period. Participating physicians responded well during the first year of the pilot study, but longer term commitment was difficult to maintain. It is recommend that physicians be educated, starting in medical school, about the recognition and diagnosis of occupational diseases and the importance of surveillance of chronic diseases. The authors encourage, at least on a trial basis, a nationally based surveillance program of occupational lung diseases