Case Management Handbook

Case
Management
Handbook

Articles and Topics

Articles
&
Topics

Tools and Templates

Tools
&
Templates

eLearning Modules

eLearning
Modules

About this site

About
this
site

Links

RTW Management
The Workplace
Medical Issues
People Issues
System Issues
Professional Development

CONTENTS

RTW OVERVIEW

Reducing Disability Days: Healing More Than The Injury (US – Dr Jennifer Christian, webility.md )
A comprehensive article about medically unnecessary disability and the interplay of the non medical features that result in lost productive time. The article describes these features and offers pointers to overcome them.

On Giving Advice to People Who Are Coping with Disability / Impairment at Home or Work
(US – Webility)
Advice on giving advice to an ill or injured person written by Dr Jennifer Christian. Covers 'getting back in the saddle', 'activity prescriptions' among other things.

Managing sickness absence and return to work (UK)
Developed as part of the UK Better Backs Campaign, contains useful info on managing workers with back problems.

Fact Sheets (Canada - Institute for Work & Health)
Factors that influence return to work. Summarizes facts from several papers and gives overview of the major issues involved in return to work

Are People with Disability at Risk at Work - A Review of the Evidence (Australia – Safety and Compensation Council)
This report shows that workers with a disability are not an increased occupational health and safety risk. Workers with a disability have on average, a lower number of OHS incidents and lower workers’ compensation costs. Contrary to common perceptions by employers that people with disability pose an increased OHS risk, this research shows that the opposite is true.

Returning to work. - The CentriX Method
A Canadian disability management and rehabilitation service company suggests an approach to understanding work related disability based on a worker's attitudes and beliefs about illness, injury and disability.
“You cannot solve the same problem with the same thinking that created It.” – Albert Einstein
First understand the thinking. The article then provides information on the 'Six Principles of Ethical Influence'

WORK & HEALTH (UK – Waddell and Burton)
Changing how we think about common health problems in healthcare, the workplace and in society. 'Work is generally good for health and well-being'Executive summary of publication changing how we think about common health problems in healthcare, the workplace and in society. 'Work is generally good for health and well-being'

Overview of the American guideline for the prevention of work disability (US – Dr Jennifer Christian)
By Lead Author Dr Jennifer Christian. The document addresses: The ill or injured individual’s personal adjustment (coping) process. The medical care process. The benefits administration process. The reasonable accommodation process under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Concepts of Rehabilitation for the Management of Common Health Problems (UK – Waddell & Burton)
'The stereotype of disability is a severe medical condition with objective evidence of disease and permanent physical or mental impairment.... In fact, most sickness absence and long-term incapacity for work and premature retirement on medical grounds are now caused by less severe conditions.' This report by Gordon Waddell and A Kim Burton for the Department for Work and Pensions, UK reviews the evidence and offers conclusion on the best rehabilitation approaches.

Managing sickness absence & return to work in small businesses
(UK – Health & Safety Executive)
A concise guide on how to help those off sick return to work.

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INFORMATION FOR EMPLOYEES

Return to work information

Off work sick and worried about your job? (UK – Health and Safety Executive)
Steps you can take to help your return to work. Useful PDF advises ill & injured workers of best practice to speed return to work.

Computer access solutions (US – Ability Hub)
Information about "adaptive technology," which makes computers accessible to those with disabilities.

Getting the best health care

Orthopod (US – Medical Multi Media Group)
Clear, accurate, understandable information about your orthopaedic condition. Includes patient guides and FAQ’s .

Questions Are The Answer – Getting more involved with your health care (US – Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
This site offers tips on how to get the most out of your health care, including preparing for appointments, building your own list of questions to ask and tips on preventing medical errors.

Glossary of workers’ compensation terms for injured workers (US)
Health Insite (Australia – Aust Government)
A-Z of health topics, conditions and diseases, health and wellbeing, life stage and events.

Better Health Channel (Australia -Victorian Government)
Information on all aspects of good health: fact sheets A-Z, medical dictionary, medicines guide and advice.

Find Medical Information (Australia – myDr)
Search tool for all Australian consumer information available on medications includes side effects.

Fitness

The winter fitness survival guide (Australia - ABC)
ABC Health & Wellbeing guide to outdoor and indoor exercises, at home exercises, and staying motivated.

Walking for good health (Australia – Better Health Channel)
Physical activity does not have to be vigorous or done for long periods in order to improve your health.

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INFORMATION FOR TREATERS

A position paper in support of timely return to work programs and the role of the primary care physician. (Canada – Ontario Medical Association)
A position paper endorsing the importance of return to work programs and identifying the importance of the treating practitioner in return to work management.

Return to Work is good medicine (Canada – WorkSafe BC)
Written for Physicians this document provides concise background information on return to work. Focuses on 'return to work as good medicine' and 'work as therapy'. WorkSafe, British Columbia

An occupational physician describes the difficulty of work capacity assessments (US – Dr Jennifer Christian)
Designated Guessers. The challenges to doctors who are required to set work limitations. The lack of research on the setting of work restrictions makes evidence-based decisions almost impossible. Some suggestions on how to proceed in this environment.

Advising patients about work (UK – Working for Health)
GPs are in a unique position to provide patients with evidence-based advice about work. A concise summary of the most important evidence-based advice GPs can offer.

An occupational physician answers questions on return to work (US – Dr Jennifer Christian)
Advice for patients who are coping with illness, injury or impairment.

Preventing Needless Work Disability by Helping People Stay Employed (US - ACOEM)
Guidelines for practitioners and recommendations on the Stay at Work / Return to work process.

Online physician education and training services to prevent work disability (US - Webility)
A US internet-based accredited medical education (CME) for physicians and other clinicians on the topic of disability prevention, mitigation and management.

 

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INFORMATION FOR EMPLOYERS

Managing sickness absence & return to work
(UK – Health & Safety Executive)
Index page to a site offering toolkits, case studies and guidance on managing return to work.

Workplace-based Return-To-Work Interventions (Canada – Institute for Work & Health)
An evidence based review of the literature which includes results and recommendations. 'We are now confident in sharing evidence-based knowledge about “what works” in RTW and under what conditions.

 

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CONTENTS

 

WORKPLACE CULTURE

Health Work Wellbeing (UK – Working for Health)
Examples of organisations that have taken action to improve the health and wellbeing of their employees with measurable results.

Fostering a healthy culture (WorkCover Queensland)
Video of Carlton and United's approach to employee wellbeing, and the benefits of the program.

Trust Rules: The Most Important Secret about Trust
Excellent mature article on Trust. If trust is damaged it can effect an employees work productivity or an employer’s confidence in their workers. The article looks at research done in the area of trust in working relationships and provides practical advice and tips on how to develop or re-establish trust in the workplace. About.com – Human Resources.

Culture: Your Environment for People at Work
An overview of workplace culture, the underlying fabric within which partnership is created. What it is, how it is created, how it can be changed. Additional links lead to related articles.

Do your employees trust you?
For employees returning to work trust is vital to success. This article asks does trust matter? How do you find out if you are trusted? About.com management section.

Top 10 Ideas About What Employees Want From Work
Ideas to help you fulfil what people want from work and create employee motivation. This is an interesting page with useful information, some of which may be useful in RTW contexts.

Betrayal of Trust
How to let go and move on when someone you trusted burns you bad. This article from a Teen Advice page has three points of advice that may be useful in some contexts for dealing with a breakdown in trust.

Trust information sheet
Here are ten important things about trust. Use them personally or give to someone who has trust issues. Written for teenagers, but accurate at any age. About.com – Teen Advice section.

How to demonstrate respect at work
This article from About.com, Human Resources section lists ten simple actions on respect for others in the work place. For employees with work related injuries, employers can demonstrate respect to them by including their ideas on how to change and improve the workplace.

Play Well With Others - Develop Effective Work Relationships
Seven ways you can play well with other at work. The key points of these techniques are communication and cooperation. From About.com- Human Resources section.

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ERGONOMICS

Ergonomics (Canada – Centre for Occupational Health & Safety)
Comprehensive range of articles and resources on ergonomics in different work contexts. From manual handling, to hand tools, to offices

An ergonomics check list for desk workers (US – Ankrum Associates)
Things to look for in posture and activities and remedial solutions.

Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders (US – National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
A resource list containing an extensive list of programs, guides and interventions.

Safe Computing Tips.com (US)
Range of article on computer use and ergonomic issues, includes articles on laptops and information on some musculoskeletal injuries e.g. RSI, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Cornell University Ergonomics Web (US)
Information from research studies and class work by students and faculty in the Cornell Human Factors and Ergonomics Research Group directed by Professor Alan Hedge, focuses on ways to enhance usability by improving the ergonomic design of hardware, software, and workplaces, to enhance people's comfort, performance and health.

How to make your computer workstation fit you (Canada – WorkSafe BC)
A guide to arranging your computer workstation so it works for you. Includes information on layout, lighting and posture.

How to sit at a computer (Ergonomics in Australia)
Useful advice from desk workers covering how to sit, the keyboard, screen, pauses and breaks

Elements of Ergonomics Programs (US – National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
A primer describing the basic elements of a workplace ergonomics program, based on workplace evaluations of a wide range of work settings.

Office Ergonomics Tips (US – Barbre Ergonomics)
Printable two page guide for adjusting a workstation

A Guide to Selecting Non-Powered Hand Tools (US – National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
A guide to help employers and workers identify non-powered hand tools that are less likely to cause injury, those that can be used effectively with less force, less repeated movement, and less awkward positioning of the body.

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PREVENTION MUSCULOSKELETAL PROBLEMS

Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (Canada – National Occupational Health & Safety Resource)
What are they, how common are they, risk factors, how do they occur, symptoms, how to recognise and treat them, how to prevent them?

Literature Review - Research on the prevention of work related musculoskeletal disorders (Australia – Safety and Compensation Council)
Summarises literature and other evidence on: the main physical hazards, psychosocial hazards for the main mechanisms of manual handling reported in the National Data Set; recommended hazard identification and risk assessment tools and practices; management practices to reduce the risk of WMSD; and evidence concerning real or perceived barriers to the implementation of risk assessment and control measures.

HabitAtWork
A browser based self assessment and exercise tool for both office and industrial environments.

 

AGING WORKFORCE

Safe and Healthy – A guide to Managing an Aging Workforce (Canada – Work Safe Alberta)
This book is for employers who are interested in learning more about health and safety issues as they apply to older workers.

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CONTENTS

CONSEQUENCES OF BEING OFF WORK

Is Work Good For Health and Well-Being? (UK – Waddell, Burton)
This extensive review of the research concludes there is a strong evidence base showing that work is generally good for physical and mental health and well-being.

ACTIVITY AND FITNESS

Weight Watchers Science Centre (Australia)
Explore the science of weight management and read about new findings so that you can make informed choices.

PHYSICAL HEALTH CONDITIONS

Back

Indahl Interview (Norway – Aage Indahl interviewed by Mary Wyatt)
Norwegian physician Aage Indahl explains how he informs his patients about back pain, and encourages them to get active. This video provides key information for back pain patients, and has now resulted in major reduction in disability in a number of studies. Requires Quicktime.

BackCare, The Charity for Healthier Backs (US)
Information for employees, employers, job seekers, line managers, healthcare providers plus case studies

Staying active and returning to work (UK – Health and Safety Executive)
Most back pain is not due to any serious damage or disease. This sheet explains when you need medical attention, what you can do to ease back pain, how to help yourself stay in work and what to do if you are away from work.

Low Back Pain: Guidelines for its management (European Commission)
A recent and comprehensive set of guidelines to help health care providers to make evidence-based decisions, improve the quality and outcome of health care. Acute and chronic low back pain, prevention and pelvic girdle pain

Back In Work (UK – Health & Safety Executive)
Managing back pain in the workplace, a leaflet for employers and workers in small businesses

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General Musculoskeletal

Improved evidence-based management of acute musculoskeletal pain (Australia – Jager and Ahern, Medical Journal of Australia)
Article on the Guidelines for the Evidence Based Management of Acute Musculoskeletal Pain by the National Health and Medical Research Council. How can we use the guidelines? Are the guidelines unique? How good is the evidence?

Arthritis Australia
The peak arthritis organisation in Australia. Information, brochures and fact sheets, resources, clinical trials on arthritis

Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (Canada – National Occupational Health & Safety Resource)
What are they, how common are they, risk factors, how do they occur, symptoms, how to recognise and treat them, how to prevent them?

Arm

Typing Injuries Frequently Asked Questions – Answered (US – tifaq.com)
Valuable information for employers, health professionals, educators, persons at risk of typing injuries

Management of upper limb disorders and the biopsychosocial model (UK – Health and Safety Executive)
This review uses a best evidence synthesis to examine the evidence on management strategies for work-relevant upper limb disorders and establish the extent to which the biopsychosocial model can be applied.

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Pain

Pain Concern
A registered charity (UK) offering information and support for people who live with pain. We campaign on pain issues, provide a helpline for pain sufferers, a quarterly Pain Matters magazine, a forum and free leaflets to help people manage their pain

 

Chronic (long term) pain

Chronic Pain Management – Treatment Options (Anxiety Treatment Australia)
Overcoming anxiety, depression and anger, relaxation techniques, challenging negative thoughts and beliefs, distraction techniques, pacing techniques, where you can get help.

The Pain Disability Prevention Program (Canadian – PDP Program)
A program administered by Psychologists aimed at disability prevention in people who suffers persistent pain due to injury or illness. The program targets psychosocial risk factors for pain and disability and poses activity as a key to rehabilitation success.

Chronic Pain (UK – Action of Pain)
Information on chronic pain, Pain Gate Theory, assessment tools, planning tools, medication. This information is free, but site also offers a fee based membership.

 

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CONTENTS

BELIEFS AND ATTITUDES

Understanding the employee’s perspective on return to work
RTW strategies at odds with the employee’s wants and needs are unlikely to be successful. Better to understand the employee’s situation and work with them to align your approaches.

 

 

MOTIVATION

The Motivation Factor – from the Interdisciplinary Journal of Rehabilitation
A useful overview article on motivation written from the rehab perspective. Covers Motivational Concepts, Increasing Self-Efficacy, Increasing Motivation.

Top 10 Ideas About What Employees Want From Work
Ideas to help you fulfil what people want from work and create employee motivation. This is an interesting page with useful information, some of which may be useful in RTW contexts.

RTW Motivation - CentriX Disability Management
'People are always motivated for something.' Don't lament what appears to be an absence of motivation, instead ask yourself “What is this person motivated for?” This is the key to creating change. Includes a formula to explain what return to work motivation is comprised of. Suggests emotion and expectation are important.

Motivation is valuable in rehabilitation and return to work
A review of a study on motivation in the work rehabilitation and planning process by Gard and Larsen at Lulea University of Technology Sweden. This article gives perspectives from the employee, employer, treater and insurer viewpoints. From rtwknowledge.org

Relapse prevention and goal setting.
A Skills for Healthy Living review of a study on how 'participants in a pain management program view achievement of goals' conducted by Guck et al at the University of Nebraska.
 

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COMMUNICATION

Communicating With Difficult People
One of the greatest challenges for any manager is to handle resistance and difficult people with grace and professionalism. Don't argue, let then vent, repeat back what they say so they know you get it - from Deborah Mackin of The Sideroad website.

Communication In Business: Why Bother Communicating?
Use succinct statements, set realistic goals, define priorities and payoffs, make performance expectations understandable, have receptive feedback systems. - useful 1 pager from Deborah Mackin of The Sideroad website.

Five Ways to Influence Change in Others
Understand their perspective, acknowledge it, speak to their interests, recognise natural tendencies, be patient. 'People don't resist change, they resist being changed' – by Kevin Eikenberry - from the Sideroad website.

Dealing with Difficult People Takes Practice
One page article offers a toolbox of advice on communication techniques by Patrick J Donadio, published on AutoInc.org – The American Automotive Service Association.

How to Handle Difficult People
Five choices for dealing with aggression, unsolicited advice, criticism or emotional blackmail. From counsellor Kevin FitzMaurice. Page also links to 25 Interpersonal Relational Styles – communicate better with insight into where individuals are coming from.

Improve Your Listening Skills Even When You Don't Want to Listen
Kevin Eikenberry lists the 7 'gets' to improve your listening when it’s hard to do so. Get: curious, a pen, focussed, over it, over yourself, space, practice.

Team Development: The Four Stages of a Developing Team
Forming, storming, norming and performing. A well-functioning team is always working on two objectives simultaneously: completing tasks and managing processes. When teams start to experience difficulty, it's typically because the tasks have moved ahead and the processes -- such as communication, role clarity, and decision making -- are breaking down. By Deborah Macklin from The Sideroad.

Internal Communications: Identifying Missing Links in Your Systems
Questions to ask your team when it is important to improve communications by Deborah Macklin from The Sideroad

Negotiating Tips: The People Side of Negotiations
The application of 'power', the use of 'time' and the use of 'information'. 'Negotiation is often more about how we interact with people than having a logical, convincing argument' by Deborah Macklin from the Sideroad.

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PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS

General

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (US – National Assoc of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists)
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the important role of thinking in how we feel and what we do.

Getting Back To Work (Australia – Sane Australia)
Getting back to work when you have a mental illness can be a challenge. This fact sheet covers how to get started. Disclosing illness to an employer. What you can do to stay at work.

Workplace Mental Health (US – Partnership for Mental Health)
Resources, profiles of innovative employer programs and programs, how to information on effective employer approaches to mental health.

Mental Health Foundation (UK)
Resource site includes an A-Z of mental health, strategies and treatments, wide range of downloadable information booklets.

Anxiety

What is an Anxiety Disorder (Australia – beyondblue)
Types of anxiety disorders, signs and symptoms, risks, treatments, helping yourself, helping others

Depression

Beyondblue (Australia – The National Depression Initiative)
Aims to build a society that understands and responds to the personal and social impact of depression, works to prevent it, and improve the quality of life for every one affected.

Depression in the Workplace Program (Australia – beyondblue)
Training program Australia only. The program consists of providing trainers or staff with important information about depression and anxiety, what it is (and what it is not), the signs and symptoms associated with these illnesses and how to respond approp in a workplace setting as a manager or a colleague.

the MoodGYM (Australia – Australian National University)
Online training program – for preventing depression. Why you feel the way you do, changing the way you think, changing 'warped' thoughts, knowing what makes you upset, assertiveness and interpersonal skills training.

Report on the Value of a Screening Program for Depression (US – ACOEM)
Informational report on screening for depression together with recommendations.

 

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WORKPLACE STRESS

Overview

Review of work stress
VicHealth’s in depth review of work stress assesses the impact of work stress on health, and explores ways of managing work stress.

Work-related stress: care and compensation (Australia - Medical Journal of Australia)
An article which addresses the complexity for medical practitioners when treating a patient with compensation claims for stress.

Prevention

Work-related stress – good practice (UK – Health & Safety Executive)
Examples of policies and procedures, interventions to reduce stress, case studies

Using humour to reduce workplace stress
The do’s and don’ts of workplace humour. Humour can help improve the workplace environment, but laughing with not at people is vital.

Management

Best practice in rehabilitating employees following absence due to work-related stress (UK – Health & Safety Executive)
The emphasis of this research is on identifying specific examples of bestpractice following absence due to stress-related illness. This provides employers with information on different types of practices, and the evidence of their effectiveness.

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CONTENTS

WORKERS COMPENSATION POLICY

Comparative Performance Monitoring Report Comparison of occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation schemes in Australia and New Zealand
A comprehensive comparison of occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation schemes in Australia and New Zealand. The report is prepared for the Workplace Relations Ministers’ Council and compares the performance of relevant jurisdictions and notes trends over time. An excellent resource.

The Prevention of Occupational Injuries and Illness: The Role of Economic Incentives
Written by a research team at the Australian National University, the paper explores whether economic incentives such as the WorkCover premiums help prevent work injuries and work disability.

The Legal Concept of Work-Related Injury and Disease in Australian OHS and Workers’ Compensation Systems
Written by a research team at the Australian National University, the paper explores the concept of work relatedness, a key threshold for ill or injured workers in many workers’ compensation systems.

Historical Trends in the Epidemiology of Injury and Industrial Disease at the B.C. Worker's Compensation Board (1950-1996).
An interesting report highlighting the significant changes in work injury claims over fifty years. The report examines changes in claims as well as the changing nature of employment.

Effective Disability Management and Return to Work Practices:
Rehabilitation and return to work policy review using back pain as the case study basis.

Determining What Constitutes An Occupational Disorder: Is the Horse Already Well Out of the Barn Door?
A Canadian paper exploring the complex area of work contribution in work illness and injuries and compensation.

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INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS

Workers’ compensation: Benefits, Coverage, and Costs, 2006
A comprehensive workers compensation report on US benefits and costs from The National Academy of Social Insurance. Written for businesses, journalists, policy makers, and consultants.

Comparative Review of Workers’ Compensation Systems in Select Jurisdictions - Germany
Written in 1998, the review provides a rich source of information on the well respected German work injury and compensation system at that time.

What’s Happening in Workers’ Compensation? National Academy of Social Insurance
Transcript of a 2006 conference meeting exploring “What’s happening in workers compensation?” in the US. Easy to read and informative.

Comparative Review of Workers’ Compensation Systems in Select Jurisdictions – New Zealand
Written in 1998, the review provides a rich source of information on the 24 hour coverage New Zealand work injury and compensation system at that time.

2008 Oregon Workers’ Compensation Premium Rate Ranking Summary
Provided for Oregon employers, but also includes a list of Workers’ compensation premium rate rankings for all US states.

Comparative Review of Workers’ Compensation Systems in Select Jurisdictions – Sweden
Written in 1998, the review provides a rich source of information on the Swedish national insurance system at that time.

COMPARATIVE REVIEW OF WORKERS’ COMPENSATION SYSTEMS AND GOVERNANCE MODELS- Canada
Compares workers compensation and return to work systems in Canada, US, Australia NZ, Sweden and Germany. Written for the Royal Commission on Workers’ Compensation, in British Columbia Canada, in 1998.

WORKERS COMPENSATION HISTORY

A Brief History of Workers' Compensation
Written for doctors who treat people with work injury, the article gives a background on workers’ compensation and how the current US system has come about.

Workers' Compensation, A Brief History
The history of workers compensation, with a focus on the US.

 

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Case Management Society of America
US based association that provides resources and support for case managers. About 20% of case managers in the US are involved with work injury management and rehabilitation. The organisation provides a range of training resources and seminars and conferences.

Graduate Certificate in Service Coordination and Rehabilitation Postgraduate Diploma in Rehabilitation Studies
LaTrobe University courses that train professionals in rehabilitation concepts and practices.

Case Management Society of Australia
Similar to the CMS of America

Training at Active Occupational Health Services
RTW Coordinator Training - Basic & advanced