The Role of the Rehabilitation Provider in Occupational Rehabilitation: Providing for Whom? Part 1: Self-perceptions

1998 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dianna T. Kenny
Keyword(s):  
Return To Work ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
Occupational Rehabilitation ◽  
Workers Compensation ◽  
Injured Worker ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Heavy Load ◽  
Rehabilitation Process ◽  
Core Business ◽  
Self Perceptions

Rehabilitation providers were the product of the 1987 Workers' Compensation Act in NSW, Australia. They operate in a complex environment and serve many masters. This paper assesses how rehabilitation providers are faring in the management of workplace injury. Using in depth semi-structured interviews, the self-perceptions of rehabilitation providers are presented. Results indicate that the current practice of rehabilitation providers labours under a heavy load of competing responsibilities, difficult clientele, adversarial stakeholders, economic restraints, and an unwieldy and clumsy workers' compensation system. Specific problems highlighted by rehabilitation providers included the identification of their core business and client group; misconceptions, lack of information and failure of communication among stakeholders; and lack of co-operation and overt and covert obstruction to the rehabilitation process. Rehabilitation providers perceived that they could function most effectively if they developed a genuine, trusting relationship with the injured worker, and educated and supported the treating doctor and employer in the rehabilitation and return to work process. Rehabilitation providers linked employer support of the injured worker to their willingness to provide suitable duties. Early referral was also considered an essential element in successful return to work. It was argued that rehabilitation providers should conceptualise themselves asadvocates for the rehabilitation processrather than for any stakeholder group. This conceptualisation allows the provider to move comfortably between groups of stakeholders, addressing their diverse needs while maintaining their focus on their core business.

The nature of positive encounters between disabled workers and insurers in the return to work process

Work ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 287-300
Author(s):  
Jarna Pasanen
Keyword(s):  
Return To Work ◽  
Customer Orientation ◽  
Occupational Rehabilitation ◽  
Positive Interactions ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Process Data ◽  
Rehabilitation Process ◽  
Rehabilitation Outcomes ◽  
Support Methods ◽  
Disabled Workers

BACKGROUND: Previous research regarding interaction between disabled workers and insurers indicates that encounters between these parties are predominantly negative in nature and may result in psychosocial harm for workers. Further research is required to investigate positive interactions to foster return to work after illness or injury. OBJECTIVE: To explore and conceptualize perceived positive encounters between disabled workers and insurers in order to identify the mechanisms that support successful rehabilitation outcomes. METHODS: This qualitative study explored the experiences of twenty-four disabled workers who had undergone an occupational rehabilitation process. Data were collected with in-depth semi-structured interviews, transcribed, coded, and analyzed using inductive content analysis. RESULTS: Four main themes arose from the 24 key concepts relating to the positive encounters: (1) process flow, (2) customer orientation, (3) information and guidance, and (4) service attitude. The results also reveal that perceived positive encounters promote the return to work not only directly, but also indirectly by improving the informants’ motivation, which has previously been found to be one of the most significant factors explaining the outcomes of rehabilitation. CONCLUSIONS: The positive relationship between disabled workers and insurers during an occupational rehabilitation could be better understood through a conceptualization of perceived positive encounters. Underlining the importance of positive encounters and their ability to improve the rehabilitee’s motivation may contribute to better support methods for the return to work.

scholarly journals Getting the Message Right: Evidence-Based Insights to Improve Organizational Return-to-Work Communication Practices

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arif Jetha ◽  
Morgane Le Pouésard ◽  
Cameron Mustard ◽  
Catherine Backman ◽  
Monique A. M. Gignac
Keyword(s):  
Return To Work ◽  
Occupational Injury ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Disability Management ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Word Choice ◽  
Injured Worker ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Communication Practices ◽  
The Impact

AbstractPurpose There is an absence of evidence-based guidance to support workplace stakeholders in the effective delivery of return-to-work (RTW) messages. Our study examines the specific RTW communication practices and their impact on the management of work disability. Methods Within two large and complex healthcare organizations, semi-structured interviews were conducted with workplace stakeholders (e.g., supervisors, union representatives, disability management professionals and workers’ compensation representatives) and workers who had previously experienced sickness absence related to an occupational injury or illness. For workplace stakeholders interview questions asked about their roles and responsibilities in the RTW process, and specific communication strategies and messages that were used at different phases of the RTW process. For worker participants, interview questions explored RTW experiences and the impact of communication on work re-integration. An interpretative descriptive approach was used to inductively examine themes from interviews to create ways of understanding phenomena that yielded applied findings. Results Forty participants were interviewed including workplace stakeholders and workers. Participants frequently described effective RTW communication as messages that were delivered by a workplace stakeholder that included the content required by an injured worker to navigate the organizational disability management process and utilized specific strategies to address the perceived attitudes and perceptions held by an injured worker regarding work re-integration. Workplace stakeholders described five specific communication strategies including relaying messages of support, optimizing the timing of communication, careful word choice, framing messages, and tailoring communication to the injured worker.  Conclusion RTW communication is an active process that requires a strategic approach. Effective communication practices represent an important strategy for workplace stakeholders to address the barriers held by injured workers and foster early and sustained RTW.

“To have and then lose the safety net” –Female cancer survivors’ experiences of the process of becoming ready to return to work

Work ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
K.S. Petersen ◽  
L.S. Anth Madsen ◽  
C.V. Nielsen ◽  
M. Labriola ◽  
C.M. Stapelfeldt
Keyword(s):  
Return To Work ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
Occupational Rehabilitation ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Data Generation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Returning To Work ◽  
Female Cancer Survivors

BACKGROUND: Validation studies have not been able to confirm the stage-specific understanding as operationalised in the readiness for return to work (RRTW) questionnaire. OBJECTIVE: To explore retrospectively how working female cancer survivors experienced the process of becoming ready to RTW during and beyond participation in an occupational rehabilitation intervention and thereby expand the understanding of the RRTW construct. METHODS: A qualitative research design was employed. Thirteen female cancer survivors were included for semi-structured interviews one to two years after they had completed active treatment and returned to work. The RRTW construct guided data generation and analysis. Content analysis was performed in four analytical steps that combined a concept-driven and a data-driven analytic strategy. RESULTS: Three themes were identified; “To have and then lose the safety net”, “Realise a changed life situation”, “Strive to balance work and everyday life”. In a time span of approximately one to two years (from receiving treatment, being enrolled in an intervention and to gradually returning to work); the identified themes were interdependent of each other as one theme gradually evolved to the next theme in the process of engaging in sustained work participation. CONCLUSIONS: The present study points towards continuous development of the RRTW construct and whether the addition of a preparedness dimension would improve validity.

The Roles, Functions and Effectiveness of Treating Doctors in the Management of Occupational Injury: Perceptions of Key Stakeholders

1996 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dianna T. Kenny
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Injury ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Occupational Rehabilitation ◽  
Compensation System ◽  
Injured Workers ◽  
Workers Compensation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Post Injury ◽  
Key Stakeholders ◽  
Policy Problems

Key stakeholders' perceptions of the role of the treating doctor, including treating doctors themselves, in the management of workplace injury and in occupational rehabilitation of injured workers was assessed via in-depth semi-structured interviews of doctors and via interviews and surveys of other stakeholders (injured workers, employers, rehabilitation co-ordinators, rehabilitation providers and insurers) in the post-injury period. A number of difficulties were identified by both doctors themselves and by other stakeholders in the treating doctors' management of compensable work injury clients. It was argued that these problems were a function of the conflict of interest that arises for various service providers within the current workers' compensation system and the polarised and adversarial nature of relationships between providers. The discussion of the underlying structural and policy problems inherent in the current workers' compensation system at various levels of practice which this study has highlighted provides a first step in attempts to resolve these difficulties in individual practitioner-client relationships.

Scoping review of claimants’ experiences within Australian workers’ compensation systems

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Marie Dean ◽  
Mandy Matthewson ◽  
Melissa Buultjens ◽  
Gregory Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Return To Work ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Occupational Rehabilitation ◽  
Injured Workers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Workers Compensation ◽  
Rehabilitation Outcomes ◽  
Cooperative Approach ◽  
Compensation Systems ◽  
Legislative Reforms

Objective The aim of this scoping review was to map the literature on the lived experiences of injured workers in Australia in order to better understand the factors that inhibit the transition back to work and improved health. The ultimate aim of the study was to identify areas for further research into workers’ compensation systems and practices that are associated with improved occupational rehabilitation outcomes. Methods PubMed, ProQuest, Embase and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) were searched for eligible articles published in English in peer-reviewed journals from 2001 to 2017. Narrative data synthesis was used to analyse the data collected from included articles. Results Twelve articles examining injured workers’ experiences within Australian workers’ compensation systems were identified. Injured workers reported similar experiences across states and territories in Australia. Four common themes and three subthemes were noted, namely: (1) relationships and interactions; (2) injured workers’ perceptions (subthemes: mental health effects, social effects and financial effects); (3) the workers’ compensation process; and (4) independent medical evaluations. Conclusions There are common difficulties that injured workers experience within Australian workers’ compensation systems that are reported to impede rehabilitation and return to work. A less harmful, more cooperative approach to worker rehabilitation and compensation is needed. What is known about the topic? Different workers’ compensation systems exist throughout Australia. Little is known about injured workers’ perceptions of their experiences within these systems in Australia and whether these experiences are similar or different across systems. What does this paper add? This scoping review synthesises available evidence showing that injured workers report negative experiences of workers’ compensation systems, and that this experience is similar across the different systems. This review also identified a clear need for future research on workers’ compensation systems in order to promote evidence-based approaches to best support the occupational rehabilitation of injured workers. What are the implications for practitioners? Evidence suggests a more holistic, biopsychosocial approach is required by practitioners when facilitating an injured worker’s recovery and return to work. This approach is also vital when considering legislative reforms, such as workers’ compensation systems, processes and practices.

Special Features: Duties of the Examining Physician

2005 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 6-6
Author(s):  
Alan Colledge
Keyword(s):  
Return To Work ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Workers Compensation ◽  
Stationary Condition ◽  
Injured Worker ◽  
Work Time ◽  
Psychological Conditions ◽  
Compensation Systems ◽  
Wage Loss ◽  
Whole Person

Abstract Workers’ compensation systems provided $25.3 billion of compensation benefits in 1999, and nearly $19 billion of this was compensation for permanent injury. Under workers’ compensation, when injured worker have missed a predetermined amount of work time, they are eligible for wage indemnification (the amount is determined by the jurisdiction). Benefits continue until the disabling condition either permits a return to work or reaches a plateau at which healing ends and no significant improvement is likely (maximum medical improvement or a permanent and stationary condition). How the award is calculated differs from jurisdiction to jurisdiction: In some jurisdictions, permanent injury benefits are awarded only on the direct physical loss; other jurisdictions compensate to some degree for expected wage loss, loss of employment options, expenses for accommodating the disability, and, perhaps, an implicit award for psychological loss and pain. Some jurisdictions require all impairments to be combined as a single whole person impairment, but others use individual impairments expressed as a regional impairment. In some jurisdictions, the permanent benefit is statutory and has no medical or clinical basis (eg, some statutes limit or disallow awards for conditions such as tinnitus or certain psychological conditions). Evaluators must be aware of statutes, administrative rules, and case law that apply to the evaluation.

Failures in Occupational Rehabilitation: A Case Study Analysis

1995 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dianna T. Kenny
Keyword(s):  
Return To Work ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Occupational Rehabilitation ◽  
Injured Workers ◽  
Work Outcomes ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Worker Characteristics ◽  
Worker Perceptions

Forty-nine injured workers were selected from a study population of 3,041 injured workers using a critical case sampling technique, to explore characteristics of workplaces and worker perceptions and attributions related to return to work status following workplace injury. The only significant differences between those who returned and those who did not return to work were satisfaction with pre-injury pay and provision of training in occupational health and safety procedures. From the in-depth structured interviews of 49 injured workers, 5 workers who failed to return to work were selected for detailed case study to further explicate the factors which contributed to unsuccessful rehabilitation. Worker characteristics, the timing and meaning of the injury to individual workers, and conflicting and unstated agendas in the occupational rehabilitation process, were all identified as critical factors which impact on return to work outcomes.

Integrating Ergonomics into the Rehabilitation Process: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach for Successful, Return-to-Work

1994 ◽  
Vol 38 (11) ◽  
pp. 715-718
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Mayne ◽  
Julie M. Sawyer
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Occupational Rehabilitation ◽  
Patient Evaluation ◽  
Injured Worker ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Internal Factors ◽  
Rehabilitation Process ◽  
Societal Costs

This paper presents a system for successfully returning an injured employee to work through a multi-disciplinary approach. It details a process that interfaces physical and occupational therapists, rehabilitation specialists and ergonomists, among others. The aims of an effective and efficient occupational rehabilitation process are to ultimately reduce the societal costs of health care. The factors that contribute to these costs are many, and can be influenced by the behavior of the injured worker, the employer, the doctors and other health care providers. This paper discusses the complementary functions of the ergonomist and the therapist: the ergonomist, through workplace evaluation and redesign, considers the external factors that influence an individual's performance; the therapist evaluates and aims to improve the internal factors that affect an individual's performance. A match or mismatch between the physical demands of a job and an injured employee can then easily be detected by comparing the results of an ergonomic assessment and patient evaluation by a therapist. The authors conclude by discussing problems and benefits encountered through this approach.

Consumer perspectives of vocational rehabilitation and return to work following acquired brain injury

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Kerrin Watter ◽  
Areti Kennedy ◽  
Vanette McLennan ◽  
Jessica Vogler ◽  
Sarah Jeffery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Injury ◽  
Return To Work ◽  
Vocational Rehabilitation ◽  
Acquired Brain Injury ◽  
System Level ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Post Injury ◽  
Vocational Rehabilitation Services ◽  
Workplace Supports ◽  
Vocational Goals

Abstract Introduction: Following acquired brain injury, the goal of return to work is common. While return to work is supported through different rehabilitation models and services, access to vocational rehabilitation varies within and between countries, and global rates of employment post-injury remain low. The literature identifies outcomes from vocational programs and experiences with return to work, yet little is known about individuals’ perceptions and experiences regarding rehabilitation to support their vocational goals and experiences in attempting to return to work. Method: This qualitative study investigated the experiences of community-living adults with acquired brain injury (n = 8; mean age 45 years; mean time post-injury of 5.5 years) regarding their vocational rehabilitation and return to work. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted, with data analyzed via thematic analysis. Results: Participants identified negative and positive experiences with vocational rehabilitation and return to work. Five overarching themes were identified: addressing vocational rehabilitation in rehabilitation; facilitators of recovery and return to work; the importance and experience of working again; acquired brain injury and identity; and services, systems and policies. Participants also identified five key areas for early vocational rehabilitation services: education; service provision; employer liaison; workplace supports; and peer mentors. Study findings inform current and future practice and service delivery, at a clinical, service and system level.

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