“Mindless Medicals” Stakeholders’ Perceptions of the Quality of Occupational Health Service Delivery in South Africa

Type Journal Article - Workplace health & safety
Title “Mindless Medicals” Stakeholders’ Perceptions of the Quality of Occupational Health Service Delivery in South Africa
Author(s)
Volume 65
Issue 3
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2017
Page numbers 100-108
URL http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2165079916656641
Abstract
This article explores stakeholders' perceptions of the quality of occupational health service (OHS) delivery in South Africa. Using a purposive sampling technique, 11 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted in three provinces. Focus group participants ( n = 69) were recruited through professional organizations of occupational physicians and occupational health nurses as well as employer representatives of major industries in South Africa. Transcriptions of FGDs were analyzed using thematic content analysis. South Africa has diverse models of OHS delivery with varying quality. Focus group participants criticized the outsourced model of service delivery and the excessive focus on physical examinations to achieve legal compliance. These problems are exacerbated by a perceived lack of employer emphasis on occupational health, insufficient human and financial resources, and lack of specific quality of care standards for occupational health. Improvement in the quality of OHS delivery is essential to realize South Africa's quest for universal health coverage.

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