Articles tagged under ‘Case management’

Articles 1 - 163 of 163

• Webinar recording — Navigating RTW with ease: CGU's Early Intervention Program for SMEs explained

  Learn about CGU's partnership with Workfocus Australia to develop an early intervention program to support small to medium enterprise clients with their RTW obligations.

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• Webinar recording — A WISE approach to injury management in emergency services

  Hear from a team of people who adapted the WISE protocol to suit emergency services and increase support to firefighters with high-complexity injuries.

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• Webinar recording — Will best practice in personal injury case/claims management please reveal itself?

  Personal injury compensation schemes have been around for more than 75 years. Yet the question, 'What is best or better practice in case and claims management?' continues to be asked. In this webinar, Andrew Fronsko talks about recent research on interventions to improve RTW, some areas for future work and care approaches that can help people with injuries and disabilities get their lives back on track.

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• IMEs as forces for healing, not harming — Part 1: case managers

  Independent medical examinations are one of many factors in our compensation system that can enhance or impede workers’ recovery and RTW. There are things that case managers can do to swing the balance in favour of better workers outcomes.

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• Webinar recording — It pays to care: from policy to practice

  Dr Mary Wyatt introduces the Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine's recently-launched policy on work injury scheme design and explores some practical approaches to improve how our schemes operate.

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• Claims intake at WorkCover Queensland — Insights from the introduction of a biopsychosocial framework

  A partnership between researchers and a workers compensation insurer (WorkCover Queensland) is an example of what can be done when evidence informs practice.

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• Big ideas for mental health in small businesses

  In this Q&A with Tim Hoopmann, small business owner and Beyond Blue speaker, we learn how to better support small business through work injury claims and mental health struggles.

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• Getting the workplace onside

  A guide to help insurance case managers, RTW Coordinators and rehabilitation providers motivate immediate supervisors and senior managers to better manage work injury.

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• Case management opportunity alert

  Get to know an untapped resource: Australia’s committed, highly experienced cohort of RTW case managers.

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• What do case managers value about their work?

  Forty-six Australian case managers tell Return to Work Matters about the most rewarding aspect of their role.

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• Webinar recording: Two highly experienced and effective case managers share their experience of what works

  Dr Wyatt interviews two case managers involved in an extremely effective evidenced based proactive and early intervention approach.

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• Motivate workers by meeting their needs

  Injured workers will continue to struggle with motivation unless the system takes charge of training case managers, doctors and employers in empathy and emotional intelligence.

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• Case study: Regulator-led case management success

  Evidence from a US jurisdiction shows that top-down reforms can improve RTW outcomes, improving outcomes while reducing costs.

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• Case manager whistle blower says workers deserve better  

  “I would hate for an injured worker to hear how they’re spoken about in the office,” a NSW claims adviser tells Return to Work Matters.

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• Webinar recording: The elephant in the room - a rehabbers journey to the other side

  Dr Mary Wyatt interviews Rhea Mercado, author and rehabilitation professional, about the connection she sees between performance targets, process-driven systems and worker wellbeing.

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• Webinar recording: My top strategies for rehabilitation case management

  In this webinar psychologist, Tatjana Jokic shares top strategies for effective case management.

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• Ten things injury insurers do that plaintiff lawyers love

  An ex-compensation lawyer spills the dirt on how injury insurers can be their own worst enemies, pushing claimants towards seeking legal representation and increasing the likelihood of a win if the case goes to court.

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• A new focus on case management

  Dr Wyatt describes the current state of case management in Australia, and asks for your help in identifying a positive path that benefits injured workers and improves conditions for case managers too.

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• Webinar recording: Case management - The good, the bad and the ugly

  In this webinar, the first in a series of webinars on case management, Dr Mary Wyatt outlines the core elements of the case management process and discusses what gets in the way of us doing a great job of case managing work injury.

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• Small business: big challenge for case management

  Of all business sizes, small businesses have the worst RTW outcomes. How can case managers help these vital employers make the best of challenging circumstances?

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• Call to power

  Friendly telephone contact from laypeople with no psychological training alleviates loneliness, depression and anxiety in housebound adults, giving employers more incentive to stay in touch with workers who are off work due to injury or illness.

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• Webinar recording: Recovery Blueprint: helping case managers help injured workers

  The Recovery Blueprint project is a partnership between Monash University and WorkCover Queensland with the aim of introducing evidence-based risk identification to workers compensation case management in Queensland.

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• Webinar recording: Case management - Early identification of people at high risk for work disability

  An occupational physician's guide to identifying and supporting high-risk individuals and common barriers to return to work.

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• icare laid bare

  icare engaged with the evidence-base around best practice injury management, and tried to reform NSW workers' comp accordingly. What can we learn from the resulting mess?

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• Ombudsman calls for overhaul of “immoral and unethical” Victorian practices

  New report concludes: “Nothing short of wholesale changes to the system will address the issues identified by both the 2016 investigation and the current one.” Does it go far enough?

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• Webinar recording: Compassion fatigue and emotional well-being of workers compensation employees

  This webinar will discuss new research which has begun to consider risk factors and protective factors for professional quality of life in Australian workers compensation professionals.

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• Mirror, mirror

  “Who’s the fairest?” matters to compensation recipients. Researchers find associations between reduced adversarialism, greater perceived fairness and better health.

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• Time management approaches

  Learn how to reduce stress, improve productivity and increase your engagement with good time management skills.

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• Three steps to getting the appreciation you deserve

  Feeling overworked and underappreciated? Here’s a simple, three-step plan to help you show ‘em what you’re worth.

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• New insurer approach reduces delays in decisions about healthcare

  Delays and disputes are stressful and can have a negative impact on recovery and return to work. The Medical Support Panel in NSW gives speedy, evidence-based answers to questions around work causation and medical treatment.

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• Webinar recording: Hacking Return To Work: 3 surprisingly simple RTW strategies you can use right now

  RTW strategies you can use right now to speed up your outcomes and deal with complex cases

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• Webinar recording: Deal with it early, deal with it right

  The value of effective injury reporting systems

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• How to support psychological claimants

  When psychological claimants feel supported by their employer the RTW outlook is bright. Here we distil the advice of experts into a brief how-to guide to help you capitalise on the support advantage.

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• New data shows employer support crucial for psychological claimants

  In Australia, only one third of psychological claimants feel supported by their employer: those who do are substantially more likely to return to work.

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• How-to guide: Calling psychological injury claimants

  Delaying contact with workers who’ve claimed for psychological injury can delay return to work. This article outlines why, how and when to make *that* call.

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• Comparing the data: physical and psychological claims

  Dr Wyatt dug into the data on the outcomes and experiences of Australian workers who lodge claims for physical and psychological injury. This overview reveals similarities but as ever the devil is in the details...

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• Webinar recording: Physiotherapists and return to work

  This panel discussion explores physiotherapy strategic approaches to improve return to work and the worker's health outcomes.

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• Dispute Resolutions: How does your jurisdiction stack up?

  The CPM report provides information on disputation rates and dispute resolution rates across Australia and New Zealand schemes. The 2015 report is the 17th report analysing year on year workers compensation data.

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• Disputes: is avoidance the best policy?

  Workers compensation disputes are often both costly and time consuming. While sometimes they're necessary, generally they should be avoided – but how can you do this?

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• Claims Process: the stress of making a claim

  When a worker is injured, there might be fears for their job stability, financial burdens, or concern that they will never be able to regain their previous lifestyle.

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• Orebro: the questionnaire you need to know about

  The Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Questionnaire (or OMPQ) used to be known as the Acute Back Pain Screening Questionnaire.

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• Cancer and Fatigue: in the workplace

  When dealing with cancer, fatigue is a common side effect of treatments. It may include physical, emotional or mental tiredness, and is often unpredictable, hitting without warning.

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• Mental Health: developing an action plan for your workplace - part 2

  Once your action plan has been developed, what are the next steps for implementation?

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• Rehab Providers: how they can influence managers

  Rehabilitation providers interact with many of the key people in return to work. Arguably, the most important impact on RTW is from management – so how can rehabilitation providers have an influence on them?

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• RTW cooperation is more effective than control

  Cooperation is vital in return to work. Whose buy-in is essential? How can you get it? And why should RTW Coordinators prioritise a team approach?

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• Case management in a nutshell

  The management of the work attendance of people with health condition is sometimes called case management. Here we cover the basics, including who, what, where, when.

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• Webinar recording: Using Disability Guidelines to assist return to work

  Recent subscriber survey feedback highlighted the need for more advanced webinar topics and discussion. This webinar is suitable for intermediate to advanced levels of experience and long term RTWMatters subscribers.

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• Case Study: Time to heal

  Mr L, a tall, solid-framed, right-handed 58 year old man, reported pain in his right elbow. While improvement was reported over six months, he began to notice similar symptoms at his left elbow.

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• Case Study: It pays to do the right thing, even when dubious about a claim

  Michael was a 48-year-old machine operator. He had been at the workplace for nine months. During his probation period he worked well, but once permanent he missed considerable time from work with unplanned absences.

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• Case Study: Injured, but not at work. What to do?

  Workers with injuries sustained away from work may be tempted to protect their financial interests by lodging a compensation claim anyway. Dr Wyatt describes how support and boundaries can help.

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• Role Summary: Treaters

  The term, 'treaters' includes general practitioners, medical specialists and allied health professionals who provide medical assistance to ill or injured workers.

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• Role Summary: Supervisors

  While the employee has the greatest influence over return to work outcomes, supervisor input is not far behind. Supervisors can make an enormous difference to the success of an employee’s return to work.

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• Webinar Recording: Adjusting to change

  Adjusting to change is difficult for all of us, but it can be particularly difficult after a work injury.

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• Webinar Recording: PTSD & Chronic Pain, Dr / Patient Communication

  In this webinar, Kerrie Shepherd, will present the learnings from the IASP Milan World Pain Congress on the interplay of PTSD and chronic pain.

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• Influence: Creating an environment of success

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• Influence: Language - a goldmine of potential

  What do you think of when you think of the words: injured worker, claimant, client, worker? Are your thoughts different? How does that impact return to work?

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• Influence: Six tips to reduce resistance and overcome objections

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• Influence: The gentle art of disagreeing

  Real influence is when you build from agreement, not from conflict; to align and lead rather than to try and overcome resistance.

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• Want better answers? Ask better questions

  Well-chosen questions can give injured workers - and frustrated RTW professionals - renewed positivity and momentum.

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• Influence: Stop talking! Four keys to listening

  To be heard is a powerful experience, and for your claimant it will make them feel safer, more secure and begin to trust.

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• Can we change workplace culture by the way we talk?

  What if we change the language in the workplace?

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• Psychological claims: Part 4

  Getting ready for psychological claims - change the story

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• Psychological claims: Part 3

  The history is not just a formality

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• Psychological claims: Part 2

  Finding a model that makes sense of it all

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• Psychological claims: Part 1

  Are you standing in your own way?

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• Influence: Steps to instantly connect with the claimant

  Building immediate rapport in return to work can turn adversary into ally.

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• The art of influence in return to work

  Are the latest sales and marketing techniques an untapped resource in return to work?

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• Examining supervisor competencies and return to work

  Competencies supervisors need to affect positive RTW outcomes for workers suffering musculoskeletal and mental health conditions.

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• Tension before and after an injury

  A cost analysis of workplace culture and its impact on return to work

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• Webinar recording: Telephonic support to facilitate return to work: what works, how, and when?

  A research review of telephone use for case management was released in the UK this year. Learn about the skills and resources required to be effective with telephonic case management.

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• Using telephonic case management for health interventions

  Evidence shows that picking up the phone improves RTW outcomes

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• Can job descriptions for case managers give us insights into state systems?

  We compare two jurisdictions

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• Use of telephonic case management as a cost effective approach to improve RTW outcomes

  The features of telephonic case management that can improve RTW

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• Using telephonic case management for assessment and triage

  Telephonic methods can be used to assess the clinical and work participation needs of people with common health problems.

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• What is telephonic case management?

  The evidence and benefits

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• Recorded webinar: Case Study & Discussion - Reintegration after a difficult bullying / harassment case

  Bullying/harassment claims can be complex to assess and manage. A thorough assessment may require an investigation. This is a difficult process for those involved, including co-workers.

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• Reducing disputes is child's play

  Remember when you were a child? A sibling or playmate did some harm to you. What did you do? A parent or teacher most likely gave you exactly what you needed.

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• The case of the "lying" handyman

  How can Return to Work professionals prevent suspicion and mistrust from derailing a claim?

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• Do me a favour, fix return to work

  People respond to positive acts with positive deeds of their own. Increased positive experiences could boost return to work rates.

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• After the injury, there's more pain to come

  Injured workers are being further harmed by Australian compensation systems, according to an article by Robert Guthrie and Stephen Monterosso

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• Recorded webinar: Proactive versus reactive injury management

  Dealing with challenging cases is complex and it's always useful to gain insights from people who have been down this path and faced the issues involved. Dr Paul Pers has an enormous amount of experience and is going to talk to about the benefits of

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• The jewels of case management

  Trust, efficiency, senior management involvement and the all-important connection between the injured worker and the workplace shine brightly in this description of the elements of best practice case management.

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• Why we are pro best practice case management

  Dr Wyatt reflects on research she conducted, highlighting that the worker-centred approach substantially reduces costs.

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• Recorded Webinar: Communicating with Doctors - GPs and Specialists

  This webinar explores how RTW Coordinators and Claims Managers can communicate effectively with treating practitioners to establish a cooperative relationship.

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• Michael Simpson - a discussion about case management

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• Applying Risk Theory to Occupational Health

  A simple adaptation of risk theory to occupational health can deliver significant improvements in productivity and a reduction in workplace accidents.

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• Reader Feedback: Tips on getting the most out of Return to Work Matters

  Our recent survey responses highlighted the number of ways that RTW Matters content is being used by those at the coalface and those who manage RTW teams.

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• Recorded Webinar: A Case Management Discussion

  Frank Imbesi & Dr Mary Wyatt discuss a case put forward by RTWMatters subscriber Meagan Moravcova.

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• Katherine Lippel: talks workers' compensation systems

  Professor Katherine Lippel presents: Workers' compensation design: how rules and practices may promote or undermine successful return to work

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• Consider the alternative: ADR in the workers' compensation context

  An introduction to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) processes and their application in the Australian workers' compensation system

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• WorkSafe Victoria, insurers censured by Ombudsman

  An Ombudsman's report into WorkSafe Victoria's record keeping practices has highlighted serious deficiencies which could threaten return to work prospects for injured employees.

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• Developing a successful rehabilitation program: case study

  Interview with Garry Pearce, Director of Rehabilitation for the Tasmanian Department of Health.

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• The forest for the trees

  Identify the variables of chronic pain to achieve holistic return to work

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• Decision-making justice: Part two

  Another must read for claims / case managers: how you cannot afford to get it wrong, and how you can get it right.

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• Decision-making justice Part 1.

  A good decision making process is worth its weight in platinum, making this a key read for claims staff and decision makers.

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• The Balancing Act

  We speak to rehab provider Donna Valiant about managing everybody's needs, expectations and obligations during the RTW process.

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• Takeover opportunity

  What RTW and OHS challenges and opportunities can you expect when your company takes over another business?

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• Saying no to compensation

  Lara (not her real name) recovers from brain trauma but eventually quits her job and abandons her claim. Why?

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• Workplace stress: we can work it out

  Causes of stress, and why it will never disappear if we don't encourage the right behaviours.

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• Sophie's choices (a case study)

  A rehab provider who addresses the human impact of injury restarts stalled RTW for a disempowered young worker.

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• Think scary RTW cases come out of the blue? Think again.

  Identify high risk cases BEFORE they bite.

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• New Zealand's Bronnie Thompson looks at the next steps back to work - looking broadly at the path forward.

  Two cases demonstrate the importance of thinking about the big picture in return to work

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• SuperDoc (6) - Issues around causation

  A look at the issues surrounding work causation ... and the funny questions people ask superheros.

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• Back injuries and communicating with GPs

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• Re-wiring the brain

  The brain's ability to adapt to new situations might be the key to understanding long-term chronic pain.

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• Kicking goals

  Goal setting is a vital tool in the return to work process, but using it effectively can pose a challenge.

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• Case Study: Re-training for a better future

  Encouraging an injured worker to retrain and undertake self-management strategies could save millions in compensation costs.

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• Case Study: Cool, calm and in control

  A worker's confidence and approach to self-management can make the difference between a successful return to work and permanent incapacity.

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• The three Rs of recovery

  The impact of Resilience, Responsibility and Readiness

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• Healthy mind, healthy body

  Mind-body therapies, which focus on creating mental well being, could play a significant role in pain relief

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• Demystifying emotional intelligence

  EI and its practical application for RTW outcomes

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• Employee engagement

  This month we focus on employee/ claimant engagement.

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• 8 steps for tackling long-term cases - Part 2

  Picking up a long-term case for the first time can seem daunting. Here are a series of steps to help you structure your approach.

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• 8 steps for tackling long-term cases - Part 1

  Picking up a long-term case for the first time can seem daunting. Here are a series of steps to help you structure your approach.

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• Case discussion - the difficult case that requires integration with claims management

  A case discussion with Andrew Paice of Nabenet and Lucia Tsui of Allianz.

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• Who is going to tell them, you or me?

  Better ways of delivering bad news

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• Return to work professional: more than just a job?

  Overworked? Underappreciated? Remember why you do what you do.

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• Attitudes can be the biggest disabilities

  When it comes to returning people back to work, it's not just important to discuss the RTW process or procedures.

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• Troubled employees

  Some Dos and Don'ts for dealing with troubled employees.

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• Managing up

  Influencing people above you in the organisational hierarchy is good for your career and can help you achieve more in your role. What are the secrets?

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• Managing disaster compensation

  Richard Green, injury and claims manager with the CFA after Black Saturday, knows what to expect from disaster-exposed workers, and how to help them through.

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• Bring body, breath AND mind to work

  Most of us do not think about consciously connecting our mind with our body, breath and soul; but research shows benefits for RTW.

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• Coaching for chronic health

  When a health insurer offers support after a potentially life-threatening diagnosis, Antonia agrees to learn how to self-manage her chronic condition. Does the coaching provide value for money?

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• The RTW Coordinator from Hades!

  In this case study a process and profit focused RTW Coordinator impedes the return-to-work of an injured worker.

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• Nice one, Mercedes!

  Missing out on early intervention puts an end to this cleaner's night job, but doesn't stop her from retraining for a satisfying new career.

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• Sunny side down

  Is it possible to have too much optimism? And what's the best approach to take when you're confronted by someone else's pessimism?

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• The heart of RTW

  In this dispatch from the desk of a RTW Coordinator, a stint as a claimant brings a whole new perspective on case management...

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• The patient's mouth

  Getting the information you need to facilitate RTW shouldn't be as painful as pulling teeth - you just need to ask the right questions...

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• Adventures in leadership

  Read Mary's guide to fearless RTW Coordination leadership, then take up our Choose Your Own Adventure Leadership Challenge!

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• Run off your feet?

  RTW Coordinators who manage time well do better. What are the secrets to good time management?

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• Q&A CONFIDENTIALITY

  Shh! The low-down on confidentiality, return to work and workers' comp.

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• Dealing with the victim mentality

  In response to a reader's questions, our resident Occ Phys explains how to encourage a proactive approach to return to work.

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• What is process related injury?

  Sometimes compensation systems, not injury, deliver the knock out blow. Don't let that happen to your workers!

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• Employees not coping with pain

  Understanding how distress interferes with recovery is the key to addressing difficult RTW cases.

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• Common causes of workplace pain

  Understanding musculoskeletal pain will increase productivity and health.

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• Discrimination, harassment and RTW

  How can employers avoid real (or perceived) discrimination and harassment during the RTW process?

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• Quick guide: Avoiding litigation

  Don't send yourself--or your worker--to the dogs! Fair in-house systems can keep claims out of court.

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• A quick guide to managing cases

  The who, what, where, when of RTW case management

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• Resolving long-term claims

  We profile a success story in identifying and dismantling non-medical barriers to RTW at Concord Hospital, NSW

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• Juggling RTW and performance issues?

  These practical industry insights will save you from having to grow an extra pair of arms...

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• "Getting back is the best"

  Aged care worker, Donna Taylor, remains positive by taking on an admin role following an injury at work.

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• Why base rehab in the workplace?

  If you're having trouble convincing injured or ill workers that early return to work is the best option, there are 5 things they need to know...

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• To schmooze or not to schmooze?

  There's no question about it, injured workers need special treatment. Employers, here are ten ways to show workers you care...

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• Manage people, not musculoskeletal symptoms

  Ignoring the non-physical causes of musculoskeletal problems leads to very poor outcomes in this all too familiar case study.

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• Let's get ethical, ethical

  A code of ethics would have helped former return to work coordinator 'Layla' to educate injured workers and combat an investigate-happy manager.

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• Top ten tips for preventing long term claims

  Changes to your injury management system can help reduce claim duration.

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• RTW: no yellow brick road

  The path to return to work shouldn't have to be long and difficult

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• Tuna farmers turning the tide in return to work management.

  An investment in occupational health, safety and welfare has paid dividends for a South Australian tuna farm.

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• Bridging the generation and gender gap

  Young female rehabilitation consultant + middle aged male worker: the most fraught relationship in RTW?

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• On-site injury management

  A chapter summary from the book 'Moving in on occupational injury' exploring the benefits of on-site medical presence.

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• Quality control in RTW: Spend less, achieve more

  In the case of Mr S, a well managed return to work system saves an employer $$ and provides good outcomes for a worker with anxiety.

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• Burned by poor RTW management

  A badly managed case of staff burnout highlights the importance of an integrated approach to return to work

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• RTW Matters follows the journey of a young secretary forced out of her job by a common health condition.

  In this and subsequent articles on Deanne's case, we learn about her WorkCover journey and hear why both she and her employer is so distressed by the process.

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• The importance of early return to productive and full time duties

  A worker has several months off work after experiencing acute back pain. Her eventual return to work was not successful, with frequent aggravation of symptoms resulting in inconsistent working hours and no return to her pre-injury duties after two years.

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• Complacency in return to work programs does not produce good outcomes

  An injured worker, with knee injuries and heart condition, is made redundant and has to deal with the concern that no other employer will take him on.

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• Doubling up on a frozen shoulder diagnosis.

  An older worker develops frozen shoulder after a fracture injury. After several months of rehabilitation her condition begins to slowly improve. But before long the same problem starts to develop in her other shoulder.

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• The carpet-layer made good

  'Chris' was a carpet layer who worked in a small suburban firm.

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• A successful RTW case study under seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

  Mr X had been a 'journeyman' worker for many years before he developed a destructive and debilitating anxiety.

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• Proactive management is crucial for anxious injured workers

  A machine operator who already has minimal work restrictions experiences another injury, this time resulting in ongoing soreness, coupled with anxiety and distress. The result is an extended duration of restricted duties.

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• Loss of motivation is common when people remain on part-time modified duties

  A project manager develops an overuse injury and is still on part-time restricted duties after many months.

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• Early, quality support for workers with significant injuries is important.

  A long standing employee sustained a significant knee injury at work. Effective coordination and rehabilitation would have changed his life.

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• When adequate rehabilitation is not enough

  A long-term stable worker sustains a significant hip injury. While he has returned to work on restricted duties, a long term view is needed.

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• When compensation impedes recovery

  Studies show that workers are less likely to recover from illness or injury if they enter the compensation system.

Archived Articles 1 - 9 of 9

• What's the opposite of employee-centred case management?

  Rehab is about supporting the employee, leading them in a positive direction, setting goals, engaging, and return to work. Not billable hours.

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• Recorded Webinar: Effective approaches to maximise effectiveness & efficiency of case management

  In this webinar we explore software applications that can assist organisations with over 200 employees manage return to work and employee health.

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• Change of name, change of outlook

  WorkCover employee Teegan Jordan explains that the authority's 'rebranding' of its case managers title reflects an improved RTW focus.

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• Consider the alternative: Part 7 - Tasmania

  We speak with Stephen Carey, Chief Commissioner of the Tasmanian Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Tribunal about the State's recent legislative changes.

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• Wrap up: Australia Post

  The Senate report into Australia Post's treatment of injured and ill workers is finally here. What's the verdict: employee-friendly best practice or LTI-fuelled supervisor scam?

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• Retail recession + squatting scandals = GrannyGate for Myer

  A case study in RTW and bad PR

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• In or out: outsourcing in South Australia

  Outsourcing of case management of workers compensation in South Australia has failed to live up to its hype

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• RTW Matters summer reading package

  We bring you a collection of our best tips for even better RTW in 2012.

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• Achieve with Ease: Emotional Intelligence in return to work

  Celia Prosser, owner and director of Achieve with Ease, explains how her experience as a Return to Work Co-ordinator helps her resolve workplace conflict.

Research 1 - 33 of 33

• Return to work is not colour blind — examining racial inequality in RTW processes

  A study reveals that workers of colour are less likely to return to work after illness or injury.

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• The relationship between work disability and suicide or self-harm

  A study confirms the strong link between work disability and suicide or self-harm.

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• Victorian Injured Worker Outcomes Study Part 2 — how healthcare providers and case managers affect RTW outcomes

  Most injured workers return to work quickly. But why don’t others? And what can we do to reduce those factors that can delay recovery and extend claims. Healthcare providers and insurance case managers have a part to play.

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• Getting the message right: strategies to improve return to work communication

  A study from the Institute for Work and Health provides 5 strategies you can use to effectively communicate with workers about RTW.

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• Case management survey: caseloads, commitment and self-training

  We share results from the 2021 Return to Work Matters Case Management Survey, completed by more than 60 insurance case managers, RTW Coordinators and rehabilitation professionals.

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• Call centre workers tired of faking it

  Feeling one way and having to act another is a hallmark of call centre work. The resulting emotional exhaustion has implications not only for the health and work satisfaction of call centre workers but for the people who use their services.

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• Orebro in the real world

  A risk assessment tool that ordinary, under-pressure case managers can use.

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• You didn't tell me that: Unfair communication and mental health

  More Australian research supports the link between mental health struggles amongst workers' compensation claimants and perceptions that the system is unfair - and suggests that unfairness around the provision of information is reasonably common.

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• Mirror, mirror

  “Who’s the fairest?” matters to compensation recipients. Researchers find associations between reduced adversarialism, greater perceived fairness and better health.

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• The emotional demands of case management

  Researchers take us to the struggling heart of case management, via focus groups with Australian case managers.

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• For injured workers, are insurers the rock and treaters the hard place?

  Workers view insurer / healthcare provider relationships as adversarial and hamstrung – but they also have clear ideas for improvement…

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• Women, children and RTW

  Injury has a big impact on home life. Does home life (especially caring for dependent children) impact RTW in turn?

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• Why would a seriously injured firefighter choose to return to high risk work?

  Bonds with co-workers and love of a particular job makes return to work appealing even after serious injury.

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• Research short: Is integrated care value for $?

  A European study of an integrated care program for workers with long term back problems shows a return of $26 for every $1 invested.

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• Arm pain and RTW - work modifications that work

  Lessons learnt from an integrated case management approach for arm problems

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• Using the ICF as a conceptual framework to guide ergonomic intervention in occupational rehabilitation

  A broad and comprehensive approach to exploring return to work issues is provided by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF).

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• A chicken and the egg problem: Self efficacy, sickness absence and return to work

  If you feel you can cope with a difficult situation will you get back to work earlier?

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• Improving disability management in the workplace

  What works when designing disability management programs in the workplace?

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• Self efficacy, sickness absence and return to work

  If you feel you can cope with a difficult situation will you get back to work earlier?

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• Competencies required for effective return-to-work coordination

  A recent review of the literature has identified the core competencies that are important for effective return-to-work coordination.

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• Coaching the chronically ill

  Education, behavioural change and support: Effective coaching methods to assist patients

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• Healthy at work

  Productivity declines more when unwell people are at work rather than absent.

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• Which workers are more likely to experience depression?

  And the causes.

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• Self management strategies: Coaching the coaches

  Many self care coaches have no formal training. Does coaching the coaches improve performance?

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• Nurturing case management

  Might a more involved approach to the case management of workers with musculoskeletal disorders cost less AND facilitate return to work?

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• What makes a good case manager?

  Treating workers as individuals, not numbers, lifts satisfaction with case management services.

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• Multidisciplinary rehab costs $$. Is it worth it?

  A comparison of the effectiveness of multidisciplinary rehabilitation and standard care in the treatment of neck and shoulder pain.

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• Preventing unnecessary disability

  An overview of the complex factors influencing the return to work of sick and injured workers, and recommendations as to return to work strategies can be improved.

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• It's all in the head: supporting families dealing with traumatic brain injury

  Identifying the needs of families caring for someone with a traumatic brain injury.

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• Tick, tick, tick: The timing of intervention.

  Intervention by nurse case managers during the first week after onset of back pain improves workers' satisfaction with their employer and healthcare provider and reduces sick leave absences.

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• Left behind in the RTW journey - Part 1

  A look at barriers to return to work for those out of work for two years. Return to work after being off work for long periods is challenging and uncommon, understanding the barriers is vital.

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• If RTW with chronic back pain fails, try a new approach

  Chronic pain is challenging to manage. Dr Wyatt describes a hotel worker's persistent, disabling case of back pain - and the treatment changes that made all the difference.

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• Return-to-work coordinators: who are they and what do they do?

  A detailed review of the tasks and role of coordinators