Abstract
The environmental counselling network is a pilot project initiated by the Swiss Medical Doctors for Environment. It consists of a coordination office and of general practitioners with a training in environmental medicine situated all over Switzerland. Medical counselling was conducted following a common protocol. The initiating phase of the network was scientifically evaluated during two and a half year. Aim of the evaluation was to assess the demand for counselling and the satisfaction of the patients. Between 1 January 2008 and 30 June 2010 185 patients, who attributed health problems to one or several environmental exposures, contacted the environmental counselling network. Thereof 73 (38%) were advised to consult a network practitioners and 49 patients eventually requested for an environmental counselling. This article refers mainly to 31 persons who attributed symptoms to electromagnetic field (EFM) exposures. One year after counselling health status of these EMF patients was on averaged unchanged with a slight tendency of improvement. About half of the patients reported that the counselling was helpful to them and 30 patients (97%) stated that the network should be continued. 70% would recommend the counselling to others. In conclusion, there is some demand for an environmental counselling in Switzerland. The office of coordination combined with a decentralised network of specialised general practitioners proved to be a useful organisational approach.
| Original language | German |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 123-132 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Umweltmedizin in Forschung und Praxis |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Publication status | Published - 2011 |
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