There is also a lack of healthcare facilities capable of doing the screenings in many small, rural Kentucky communities, which is another barrier for many miners.

Health professionals need to become more involved in information and screening information. They need to stress the importance of early screening and regular screening, and they need to create educational resources for the miners, so they can take steps to avoid black lung. Health care professionals who deal with patients suffering from black lung could also become more involved with creating legislation that would regulate the coal mines more effectively. Currently, there are ways to prevent black lung, but the coal mining industry has resisted attempts to alter or create stricter regulations, and so far the state and federal governments have not really attempted to push the issue. Health care professionals could help push the issue by sharing their own experience treating patients with...
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