Contributions of research and surveillance to the understanding of work-related asthma in the healthcare industry

Both research and surveillance provide valuable knowledge about work-related asthma (WRA). The goal of this presentation is to explore how these two approaches have contributed to our understanding of WRA in healthcare, which has been observed to have an elevated prevalence of this disease. Surveillance is the routine collection, processing, interpretation, and dissemination of information about diseases or hazards, and is usually conducted in a defined geographical area such as a state, province, or entire nation. Knowledge gained from surveillance should be provided to those who can use it to conduct further investigations or plan and implement interventions. Research studies are not routine, and usually are more hypothesis driven, more limited in where they are conducted, and able to collect more detailed information about exposures and health outcomes. Surveillance can contribute to the initial identification of an emerging problem and document the effectiveness of interventions, as seen with the example of powdered natural rubber latex gloves in healthcare. The findings from surveillance can motivate and guide research studies, which then yield additional insight into options for prevention. It is necessary to have both surveillance and research programs to maximize the information that directs the prevention of WRA.