Occupational healthcare
My employer has been sending me to the occupational health doctor for years. Hands up, spin around, stick out your tongue – that’s roughly how it goes. Each time, I’m left confused. Why is my employer paying for this service on my behalf? It seems like something that could easily be handled by a general practitioner. It appears to me that we could save a considerable amount of money if this service were integrated with health centers and general practitioners. Funding a parallel world where part of my health is managed by the occupational health doctor and part by my general practitioner simply doesn’t make sense financially. Can anyone suggest how much money this would free up for other purposes within the system?
Recently added ideas
- Supported 1
- Don't believe in the idea 0
7 thoughts about the healthcare sector’s main problems
- Health concerns are not solved by the healthcare sector alone in the big picture, but rather by the economic success of society and the understanding at all levels of society that investing in health is worthwhile.
- Considering the current state of healthcare in Estonia, the idea of a mega-hospital …
- Supported 13
- Don't believe in the idea 10
Emergency services for a fee
My recommendation would be to make ambulance services paid. Since I work in the ambulance service in Tallinn, I see how many calls are not emergencies but rather a convenience service. It's easy to call 112, and three staff members come and give paracetamol – people have no sense of …
- Supported 12
- Don't believe in the idea 7
Three years of mandatory work in Estonian healthcare
A significant part of the shortage of doctors is due to the fact that they go abroad to work after graduating. The shortage of nurses, on the other hand, is caused by the fact that they move to the private sector, for example, to aesthetic medicine. If a requirement were …
Additional suggestions
Data Viewer 1.43.13
If there is a trace left in the health portal of the viewer, the patient does not receive information about what is happening in the occupational health data viewer. View, copy, duplicate, distribute, etc
No one should be forced to undergo a medical examination, as it constitutes a violation of bodily integrity. Currently, occupational health doctors have the final say on whether an employee is fit to work or not. A doctor paid for by the employer should not have such authority. It is true that not everyone voluntarily visits their family doctor to monitor their health, but that is their free choice. In a democratic society, compulsory treatment (which includes forced health checks) is strictly limited. Everyone should have the option to choose a job that does not require health checks, except in professions where health requirements are absolutely necessary and mandated by specific laws (e.g., military personnel, pilots, etc.).
There are constant complaints about severely ill patients struggling to access medical care and facing long waits for treatment, while healthy individuals are subjected to unnecessary examinations, often being shuffled between specialists, tests, and their family doctor, with the employer usually not covering these costs. Please put an end to this humiliation of employees; the primary role of healthcare should be to treat patients, not to conduct checks and issue approvals.
Reorganizing work processes can lead to efficiencies, but experience and real-life situations have shown that mandatory visits to the occupational health doctor often serve as the only regular touchpoint with the healthcare system for many individuals, particularly men, who tend to avoid seeking medical help. This experience has shown that some people, especially men, are more likely to endure symptoms rather than seek assistance. In some cases, visiting the occupational health doctor has helped detect serious illnesses that might have otherwise been ignored over time. Therefore, simply “ending” mandatory health checks without careful consideration is not a solution.
At the same time, the resources of occupational health doctors could be better utilized, as they see virtually all working-age and employed people over a couple of years. If family doctors are unable to handle preventive care, this could be the role of occupational health doctors, who could also receive funding from the Health Insurance Fund for this purpose.
Occupational health funding comes from the employer, not the Health Insurance Fund. However, it does use healthcare resources.