Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42552522›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2026

Felt and expressed needs regarding occupational health services from the perspective of micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises: a scoping review.

Svea Suraj, Martin Ansgar Horn, Juliane Holzgräwe-Eichmann, Hanno Hoven, Stefanie Mache, Alexandra Marita Preisser, Marcial Velasco Garrido, Volker Harth, Robert Herold

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Svea SurajInstitute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine (ZfAM), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany. s.suraj@uke.de.ORCID 0009-0000-7458-9725
Martin Ansgar HornInstitute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine (ZfAM), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany.
Juliane Holzgräwe-EichmannInstitute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine (ZfAM), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany.
Hanno HovenInstitute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine (ZfAM), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany.
Stefanie MacheInstitute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine (ZfAM), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany.
Alexandra Marita PreisserInstitute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine (ZfAM), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany.
Marcial Velasco GarridoInstitute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine (ZfAM), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany.
Volker HarthInstitute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine (ZfAM), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany.
Robert HeroldInstitute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine (ZfAM), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn the context of the changing need for health care and prevention due to climate, digital and demographic change, occupational health services are of enormous relevance, as many people can be reached. Of particular interest are the occupational health services in micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), as smaller companies are experiencing an unequal distribution of resources. To optimise the implementation in MSMEs, the aim of this scoping review is to present an overview of the MSMEs' needs regarding occupational health services.

methodsThe literature search was conducted through Embase, Pub Med, Scopus, and Web of Science. Additionally, a manual search was performed through the references of included sources. A protocol was registered with Open Science Framework. The screening was conducted by two reviewers. Eligible were peer-reviewed articles in English and German, published between 2000 and 2024 on the perspective of MSMEs regarding occupational health services. The articles were narratively synthetised. A critical appraisal was carried out.

resultsA total of 1,252 sources were found during the search on August 26, 2024. Fifteen were included from the database search and two from the manual search. The studies used qualitative (n = 11), quantitative (n = 3) or mixed-methods (n = 3) approaches. The narrative synthesis identified five categories of felt and expressed needs with fourteen subcategories. MSMEs had a need for collaborative culture including communication, participation, trusting relationships and external support. The need for knowledge and competencies contained information, training and accessibility. Organizational structures subsumed the need for time, financial, technical resources as well as management commitment and simple solutions. Tailored legislation and less bureaucracy were categorised as needs for political and regulatory context. In the included studies, a selection of specific interventions such as flu vaccination, ergonomic solutions and psychosocial risk assessment were discussed.

conclusionsTo optimise the implementation of occupational health services, this overview shows that political stakeholders and occupational health professionals should improve the organizational structures, political and regulatory context, collaborative culture with and the knowledge and competencies of MSMEs. Further research is recommended with the explicit aim of identifying the needs of MSMEs in each sector on occupational health services, psychosocial risk and assessments.

Indexed as

Health Services Needs and DemandNeeds AssessmentOccupational Health ServicesSmall BusinessHumansMicro-, small- and medium-sized enterprisesMSMEsNeedsOccupational health servicesOHS

Identifiers

PMID42552522
PMCPMC13440008

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.