ASSESSING THE CAUSAL LINK IN OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES: ETHICAL, TECHNICAL AND LEGAL IMPLICATIONS FOR MEDICAL EXPERTISE

Abstract

Medical expertise plays a fundamental role in the interface between health, law and social security, especially in the assessment of the causal link in occupational diseases. This systematic review aimed to critically analyze the scientific production on the technical criteria, ethical implications and legal consequences involved in this expert process. Twenty-seven studies published between 2010 and 2025, identified in databases such as SciELO, LILACS, PubMed and Google Scholar, were analyzed. The results revealed that although there are normative guidelines, expert practice still presents high variability and lack of standardization, which compromises the consistency of reports. Recurrent ethical dilemmas such as impartiality and professional secrecy were also highlighted, in addition to relevant legal impacts such as the judicialization of benefits and contestation of reports. It is concluded that improving expert performance requires investments in specialized training, development of unified protocols and coordination between the institutional actors involved. The systematization of expert practices, aligned with ethical and technical principles, is essential to ensure fairer and more technically based decisions in the context of occupational diseases.