Journal of occupational medicine. : official publication of the Industrial Medical Association
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There is a current trend for corporations to switch from in-house medical departments to outside contract organizations for provision of occupational health services. Although this may be driven by a desire to reduce expenses, there is little objective data on which to base this decision. This study compares the costs to a corporation of an in-house medical department with the costs for the same services if rendered by outside providers. ⋯ We found that the cost for the in-house medical department was 42% less than that of the outside providers at the prevailing rates. Thus, the in-house medical department is more cost-effective than the outside providers. We also discuss other advantages of an in-house department that are more difficult to quantify.
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Comparative Study
A prospective, nonrandomized study of iontophoresis, wrist splinting, and antiinflammatory medication in the treatment of early-mild carpal tunnel syndrome.
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) has become the industrial epidemic syndrome of the decade and its incidence is continuing to rise. Because of public awareness. CTS is being diagnosed much earlier in the course of the disease. ⋯ Iontophoresis may become an alternative to steroid injections to the carpal tunnel region if further studies substantiate these findings. It provides an excellent complication and side-effect profile compared with other methods of delivering dexamethasone. No complications occurred (including no significant elevation of serum glucose in insulin-dependent diabetics.)