Putting the ‘Work’ Back into Workers’ Compensation

How did it come to be that the prevailing thought among injured workers is that workers’ compensation is a paid vacation, maybe a permanent vacation, if it is played correctly. It is a tragic mindset for both the employer and the employee. Recovering from a workplace injury is the “work” that the employer should expect for the compensation and medical care being provided. Unfortunately, a worker who is uneducated in proper recovery methodology has no idea how to do the recovery “job”.
One of the catchphrases that I often use at conventions is that “workers want to get better they just don’t know how”. The provision of medical services by cases managers rarely addresses the recovery challenge of making the injured worker aware of the importance of mindset, activity, nutrition, and rest. Moreover, there is no accountability required of the worker to determine if they are doing the work of working on getter better.
I would suggest that the idea of recovery education and guidance has not even occurred to the worker. Moreover, the feedback from payers is that working at getting better is a somewhat revolutionary idea. Additionally, the concept that “coaching” can improve injured worker recovery times and reduce medical spend is equally unimagined. My colleague, Bill Walton, will speak directly about the importance of patient education and coaching at his upcoming keynote at WCI on August 20th in Orlando.
My personal goal is to change the mindset of both injured employees and their employers about the presumptions around the recovery process. In my experience, the “work” continues while you are at home, that is the work of recovery. It is somewhat surprising to me that when I suggest the idea that recovery requires work, like reading a book on optimizing your recovery, looking at videos, listening to audios, and modifying eating habits to support the body’s natural process to heal, industry leadership and thought leaders immediately understand the need but, have no plan to implement this to achieve better outcomes.
Having recovered from three spine surgeries and two knee replacements I can unequivocally tell you that getting better faster and staying better longer requires real work. What better time to do that work then when you have little else to do at home? Improving patient outcomes is by every measure a cost saving objective. The employee and the employer should be on the same side of the table in pursuit of the best possible outcome, a full recovery and speedy return to work.
Many of you will see me at several conventions over the coming months. I welcome your personal feedback and guidance about your viewpoint on how to make patient education and recovery coaching the “homework” for every injured worker. So, let’s all get to work!

Share This Article: