Early Telehealth Intervention and RTW Case Management Drive Better Outcomes

By Anita Linn, MA, CPDM

VP Analytics & Business Intelligence
WorkCare, Inc

Research has shown for decades that early intervention and a supportive employee experience are critical contributors to positive outcomes in workers’ compensation (WC) cases.

The employer featured in this case study is a publicly traded U.S. healthcare company employing more than 26,000 people during the longitudinal study period of 2012-2018. The workforce is comprised predominantly of clinicians and professional staff distributed across the country.

This case study describes an innovative early intervention model that was applied in a WC plan. It includes a pre-claim 24/7 telehealth model that leverages immediate telephonic access to occupational health nurses and physicians. Employees who call have the option to receive guided first aid/self-care and stay at work, as clinically appropriate. They can also request referral to a clinic, where a treatment and return-to-work (RTW) plan is developed.

The model is designed for effective transfer between each level of care, whether pre-claim or later. It includes referrals to onsite ergonomic resources and a dedicated nurse case manager (NCM) who facilitates optimal stay-at-work and RTW outcomes after a WC claim is filed.

The guided first aid/self-care option is particularly relevant to this population: In 2017, healthcare and social assistance employees in private industry had the highest number of injuries/illnesses, accounting for approximately one in five cases reported by all private employers that year. Employees who are trained healthcare professionals, or other staff who have the additional support of on-site caregivers, may be more comfortable using guided first aid/self-care, compared to the general population.

Overcoming Challenges

The model was designed to address several challenges identified by the company’s human resources (HR), risk management, and safety professionals:

Full content is available to DMEC members only.

to view the complete resource.

If you are not a DMEC member, we encourage you to join. DMEC members have access to white papers, case studies, @Work magazine articles, free webinars, legislative updates, and much more. These resources will assist you in building an effective and compliant integrated absence management program, saving you time, resources, and money. Learn more.

If you are being asked to log in more than once, please refresh your browser.