Silicosis for Health Care Providers
Diagnosing Silicosisāā
Workers with silicosis often present with non-specific respiratory symptoms, such as cough and shortness āāāof breath; they may also be asymptomatic in early stages of disease.
Providers should ask patients about their work and consider silicosis in both asymptomatic and symptomatic countertop fabrication workers. Silicosis can be diagnosed using imaging, such as chest x-ray and chest CT, and pulmonary function tests, such as spirometry and diffusing capacity. Pulmonary and occupational medicine providers should be included inā diagnosis and care.
Reporting Silicosis
Case Reportingā
Providers who diagnose or treat patients with silicosis āāare asked to report ācases to CDPH via one of the following methods:
- Through the Provider Portal in the
California Reportable Disease Information Exchange (CalREDIE)
- By phone: 800-970-6680
- By fax: 916-636-6153
- By email:
silicosis@cdph.ca.gov
- Please ensure that any emails containing protected health information are sent via a secure email system. If you do not have access to a secure email system, please contact us at the above email address and we will provide a secure method of transmission.
Reports should include at a minimum:ā
- āāPatient nameāāā
- Date of birth
- Name and location of the facility where they were seen
- Date of the relevant encounter
āāUnder the
Cal/OSHA silica standardā, employers are required to offer silica medical examinations to many silica-exposed workers.
Providers who conduct these exams are required to report the results of all examinations to CDPH, whether or not the worker has silicosis. Reports should includeāā:
- āāāāāāPatient nameāā
- Date of birthā
- āāāāāāName and location of the facility where they were seenāāāā
- Date of the relevant encounterāāā
- āA copy of the exam report provided to the worker
āExam āresults can be reported via one of the following methods:
- āāBy fax: 916-636-6153
- By email:āÆsilicosis@cdph.ca.govā
- Please ensure that any emails containing protected health information are sent via a secure email system. If you do not have access to a secure email system, please contact us at the above email address and we will provide a secure method of transmission. ā
āā
Continuing Medical Education on Silicosis
What Providers Need to Know
Silicosis in Countertop Fabrication Workers: What Providers Need to Know (PDF)
CDPH overview of silicosis in countertop fabrication workers, including information about diagnosis, medical surveillance, and treatment.
Resources: What Providers Need to Know
Additional Resources for Providers
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