Can you manage disability without the medical management component?
Posted by Mike Crone on Mon, Nov 16, 2009 @ 03:55 PM
Many employers are trying to manage disability in their workplace without access to claimants' medical diagnosis or treatment plan. A WCTL client recently received an arbitration ruling in their favour allowing them full access to medical information that was necessary to safely manage and oversee the recovery of injured employees and their safe return to work. The only precursor was that the medical information be handled only by a fully qualified Nurse or Physician.
Disability is a medical issue and requires medical expertise to manage. It is critical that Medical information be received and reviewed at the date the injury/illness is reported. Medical information should be reviewed for Diagnosis, Treatment, Modified Work Start Dates and Full Return to Work (FRTW) goal-dates.
Regular medical contacts must be maintained with the employee, the treating Physicians and physiotherapists and other care providers to ensure that employees are progressing to established FRTW goal-dates. This information is necessary for OH&S to manage the recovery of the employee, assist the Attending Physician and hold the Insurer accountable to the timely recovery of the disabled employee.
Diagnostic and Treatment information enables the Nurse and supporting Occupational Health Physicians to ensure that timely and appropriate medical interventions are occurring at critical junctures in a claim to facilitate the recovery of the disabled employee. The Occupational Health Nurse, Physician and Psychiatrist can provide valuable assistance to the Attending Physicians regarding Modified Work and particular treatment interventions which have proven effective.
Without Diagnosis and Treatment information, it is not possible to manage disability claims in a way that has a material effect on minimizing claim duration and associated costs.