| Title: | Housing and health counselling: preliminary results of a new medical referral system in France |
| Author(s): | Charpin-Kadouch C; Mouche JM; Queralt J; Hugues B; Garans M; Dumon H; Charpin DA; |
| Address: | "Maison de l'Allergie et de l'Environnement, Marseille, France" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.envres.2006.06.006 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 0013-9351 (Print) 0013-9351 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "STUDY OBJECTIVES: Since 2002, a new unique service is available to physicians in southeast France. They may ask for a housing environmental inspection for their patients when they feel that the indoor environment has a negative influence on health status. This telephone survey was designed to evaluate the efficacy of this service. DESIGN: During this time period, 328 such housing environmental inspections have been performed. The protocol of these inspections included a detailed questionnaire and environmental sampling for mold identification, mite-allergen evaluation and, in selected cases, measurement of volatile organic compounds (VOC). Inspections were performed by trained technicians. From April to September 2005, we performed a telephone interview survey, using a structured questionnaire, to evaluate the reported outcome. RESULTS: Main defects identified in houses were mold infestation (44%), mite contamination (32%), and VOC exposure (9%) from new furniture, repairs performed and hobbies. Substantial repairs, including carpentry, wall floors and ceilings repairs, mold decontamination, and plumbing, had been performed in 59.4% of those houses. Full compliance, partial compliance, and no compliance by the occupant with the recommendations provided by the housing environmental inspectors were 50%, 20%, and 30%, respectively. Reasons for non-compliance included moving, time, and money constraints. When rating the efficacy of the service, total, almost total, and partial effectiveness was reported by the families to be 3%, 31%, and 56%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This type of service holds great promise for patients as well as for physicians and should be investigated further by measuring physician-diagnosed health outcome and using cost-benefit analysis" |
| Keywords: | "Air Pollution, Indoor/*analysis Environmental Monitoring/*methods France *Health Surveys Housing/*standards *Referral and Consultation;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineCharpin-Kadouch, Carmel Mouche, Jean-Marie Queralt, Jacqueline Hugues, Bernard Garans, Max Dumon, Henri Charpin, Denis Andre eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Netherlands 2006/08/05 Environ Res. 2007 Feb; 103(2):149-53. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2006.06.006. Epub 2006 Aug 2" |
