Employees' and occupational physicians' different perceptions of the work-relatedness of health problems: a critical point in an effective consultation process.

In a survey on workers' attitude and behaviour towards the occupational health service (OHS) in their company, it appears that there is hardly any relationship between physicians' and employees' judgement on the work-relatedness of health problems presented during a consultation hour. This is considered an alarming outcome with severe implication for the doctor-client communication. In this article an explanation for this large discrepancy between the physicians' and employees' judgement is derived from the clarification given by employees and from theories on the lay-definition of health and illness and on doctor-patient interaction. Apart from factors already mentioned in the general literature on the doctor-patient relations, the socio-economic implications of the label of 'work-relatedness of health problems' in the field of the occupational health services, turns out to be an important factor in the explanation.