Table 2

Summary of characteristics of compensation data

Country	Excluded workers	Person initiating claim	Person(s) recognising the claim	Changes in reporting since 2000
Belgium	▸ Self-employed ▸ Military ▸ Some government officials	Any physician in agreement of worker	Physician employed by state insurance company	Data available from 2001
The Czech Republic	▸ Self-employed ▸ Home workers	Any physician	Physician in OD centre	Minor update of the national list in 2011 (six items added)
France	▸ Self-employed ▸ Civil servants ▸ Farmers	▸ Worker ▸ Physician provides medical certificate	Local health insurance fund employees	Data available from 2004
Finland	None	▸ Physician ▸ Employer	Physician in insurance company	Data available from 2005
Italy	▸ Must be on list of risky activities includes 80% of population	Worker—directly or through employer	Legal specialists, OP and technical experts employed by state insurance company	Change to national list of OD in 2008 making it easier to claim for CTS and ULMSD
Spain*	▸ None Includes self-employed since 2003 (voluntary)	▸ Physicians of the National Health Service ▸ OPs from Mutual Societies	Administrative unit of the Social Security	Change to national list in 2007 and new electronic reporting system
Switzerland	▸ Self-employed ▸ Military	▸ Worker ▸ Employer ▸ any person with worker's consent for example, physician	Consultant physician of insurance company	None relevant to these data
GB	Self-employed	Worker	Government department with OP advice	None relevant to these data

CTS, carpal tunnel syndrome; OD, occupational diseases; ULMSD, upper limb musculoskeletal disorders.