Rates of Black Lung Disease in Relationship to Black Lung Treatment Centers. Policy Brief.

摘要

Recent evidence indicates that rates of coal workers pneumoconiosis (CWP), or black lung disease, after a long period of declining incidence, began to increase in the early 2000s. Safety standards, if adhered to faithfully, should be able to prevent most black lung disease from occurring. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) provides grant funding to support Black Lung Clinics for the purpose of finding and serving past and current coal miners. Services provided through this program include outreach, primary care, patient and family education and counseling, care coordination, and pulmonary rehabilitation. The current study addresses two research questions regarding Black Lung Clinics and black lung prevalence: (1) what are the comparative prevalence rates of black lung among active miners in areas closer to, and farther from, Black Lung Clinics, including overall rates and rates by disease severity stage, and (2) within Black Lung Clinic geographic service areas, which areas are showing relatively higher and lower black lung prevalence rates among active miners, overall and by disease severity stage.