The relevant results for physicians are reported in Table 3. Female physicians are found more likely to receive meals allowance, transportation allowance and paid vacations compared to their male counterparts.
In general, the literature suggests that the motivation of claimants [ 5, 9] is a relevant characteristic for physicians who make medical disability assessments, and their communication styles [ 7] did, indeed, seem to be affected by the stereotypes.
This suggests to us that the role of physicians in environmental health and medicine must also evolve if they are to remain relevant and for physicians to have an impact in addressing individual and population health threats that can arise from these old and new environmental challenges.
However, because a large part of our training course focuses on knowledge, awareness, and the communication skills that are relevant for all physicians who perform work disability assessments, and are probably applicable to physicians worldwide, specific tailoring should not be difficult.
Factors such as long working hours and work family conflict were particularly relevant for female physicians' intention to leave.
We supposed that screening items which are practically relevant for the physicians might either have a high prevalence and/or might be followed by a high frequency of diagnostic or treatment efforts initiated by the GPs.
