A Call to Action.
The It Pays to Care policy paper calls for comprehensive, evidence-based reform of work injury management systems and approaches.
These evidence-based shifts include:
- Systematically identifying and proactively managing psychosocial risks for individual claims.
- Changing scheme cultures, systems and processes to remove barriers to recovery and embed key principles.
- Upskilling the injury management workforce.
- Fostering greater cooperation and trust between stakeholders.
- Conducting further research to evaluate and refine interventions.
Every domain of the workers’ compensation ecosystem has opportunities improve outcomes for workers and communities.
- Regulators can lead by example, fostering a culture of collaboration and trust and ensuring fundamental scheme values and principles are in place.
- Insurers can support case managers through provision of training and support, and both can implement systems for early identification of high-risk cases.
- Employers can create supportive work environments, provide training for supervisors and return-to-work coordinators, and implement proactive strategies to identify and manage psychosocial risks.
- Healthcare providers can adopt a biopsychosocial approach, focus on evidence-based and high-value care, and enhance cooperation with other stakeholders in the return-to-work ecosystem.
