When an employee is injured on the job, it is in everyone's best interest to mobilize for a fast and complete recovery. However, that outcome may be unintentionally sabotaged by an unlikely development: lack of patient engagement and trust.
In fact, a
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Fortunately, as the value of patient engagement is becoming more recognized, so are models of care designed to promote advocacy and employee involvement for more effective healing. Here are three effective ways that benefit advisers can help their employer clients build employee engagement when a workplace injury occurs:
Establish empowerment at point of injury
From the first report of injury, treat the situation from a humanistic, rather than an administrative, viewpoint. Put the injured employee's wellbeing first by giving him or her the tools to determine what level of care is most appropriate for the injury.
A good way to achieve this is through a nurse triage service in which employees are given a number to call when an injury occurs. The call gets directed to a registered nurse, who asks a series of questions to immediately assess the injury and provide a medically sound recommendation as to the right level of care. This often results in simple self-care instruction, avoiding unnecessary physician or emergency room visits. It also demonstrates to the injured employee that the employer is genuinely concerned about his or her wellbeing and creates a positive experience for the employee. If treatment is needed, nurse triage assists the employee in locating a physician or facility for timely evaluation.
For complex injuries, a case manager may be indicated. When assigned to a workers' comp claim, case managers coordinate the care plan and medical appointments, and serve as the liaison between the employee, family, clinicians, employers and claim handlers. Having a designated point of contact removes employee stress of navigating the complexities of the health care system alone. It also boosts employee compliance knowing there is a caring, knowledgeable coach and advocate available.
Throughout the recovery, case managers encourage injured employees to take responsibility and play an active role in their own care and recovery. They collaborate with the injured employee in setting functional goals and forging a partnership. Education is a key component of the case management process. When the injured employee is well informed, he or she can make better decisions and feel more in control of the situation.
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Incorporate technology to facilitate self-care and increase compliance
In our digital world, people expect technological efficiency in all areas of their lives; why should healthcare be different? Companies with case management programs have developed apps for injured employees that allow for a more self‑directed approach to support the case management process at home. These apps offer activities for the injured employee to perform on a daily basis from home and provide cognitive-behavioral reinforcement that encourages the injured employee to keep moving forward.
Remote monitoring programs not only instruct the patient on what to do but also measure their level of functionality and improvement from home. Apps can be used to ensure patients are compliant with their medications, as well as provide daily self-help tips based upon the five pillars of health. These tools allow the injured employee to be actively engaged at every step as opposed to sitting at home between appointments waiting to be told the next move. They also improve patient engagement with case managers by allowing for follow‑up conversation and real-time progress tracking.
Address psychosocial factors that may influence recovery
There has been an awakening in work comp on the importance of addressing psychosocial factors in claim management. Research has shown how these factors can have a significant impact on recovery rates. It is important to understand that considering psychosocial factors does not mean individuals have a psychiatric disorder; instead, they may exhibit minor cognitive distortions, which relate to how they think and feel about a situation. When presented with a stressor like an injury, they may experience a tense and fearful response that keeps them stuck.
Patients' mental and emotional conditions can worsen depending on how much pain and discomfort they are experiencing. Most workers' compensation injuries involve some degree of pain, and those in pain are much more likely to be depressed and anxious than those who are not suffering. Combine these feelings of isolation with being away from the workplace and concerns about not being able to earn wages while injured, plus fears of failing to achieve full return to function, and it's only natural to develop some degree of anxiety.
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To help the injured employee cope, case managers are trained to check for these signs and symptoms early on by assessing each situation and viewing the whole person, not simply a primary diagnosis. This involves evaluating social determinants of health, including where the person lives, available support systems, access to nutritional foods and transportation, and level of health literacy. Case planning involves taking all these factors into consideration to overcome any barriers to recovery and return to work. Motivational Interviewing, a process in which case managers ask direct questions to assess a person's willingness or readiness to change, helps us uncover underlying barriers to recovery and then develop strategies to help the person make those changes.
These strategies offer a transformation from the traditional approach to workplace injury. But increased empathy, better coordination of care, digital solutions and a holistic view of the individual and his or her situation can facilitate a more efficient and safer return-to-work process.
