Practical Applications and Observational Implications of Time-Based Coding for Workers' Compensation Clinical Encounters-A Follow-up to Best Practices in Documenting and Coding High-Value Care in Workers' Compensation Encounters-ACOEM Guidance Statement.

ABSTRACT: Clinical practices that provide workers' compensation care and other services related to managing work-related illnesses and injuries have long been challenged in receiving appropriate payment for their professional work. The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) has provided excellent guidelines for coding and billing via its various documents that have been provided over the years. However, despite these guidelines, payors have been slow to adopt occupational specific coding guidelines to justify higher professional payment. With the move to a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)-sponsored time-based coding option in 2011, the occupational and environmental medicine (OEM) clinics have been able to finally not only document but recoup the value of those services that go beyond the simple patient interface, being able to capture those activities that truly provide high value in the management of workers' medical issues.

Use of Virtual Care Strategies to Join Multidisciplinary Teams Evaluating Work-Related Injuries in Rural Residents.

Background: Rural injured workers requiring multidisciplinary assessments for musculoskeletal disorders face health access disparities, which include travel to urban centers. Virtual care can enhance access to multidisciplinary team care for musculoskeletal conditions in rural areas. Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart audit of 136 multidisciplinary assessment reports of injured workers was conducted. Comprehensive management recommendations from the health care assessment team were extracted for analysis. The health care team used virtual technologies to join with patients and at least one local rural health practitioner in one of three locations. Remote presence robotics (RPR; Xpress Technology™) or laptop-based telehealth was used to complete the assessments. Results: RPR were used in 46% of assessments over two sites, with 54% using laptop-based telehealth at a third site. Frequencies of team members' assessment using technologies were as follows: physical therapist (100%), psychologist (78%), plastic surgeon (8%), and physician (43%). Spine (42%) and shoulder (32%) disorders were the most common problems. Most workers (79%) were 3 or more months postinjury. The most common management recommendation was the need for daily comprehensive rehabilitation care (76%). Travel time was saved by 89% of participants. Conclusions: Virtual care was used to unite multidisciplinary assessment teams for the evaluation of injured rural workers with complex musculoskeletal injuries. Future research recommendations include comparing between virtual and fully in-person multidisciplinary assessment and recommendation findings, and evaluation of patient and practitioner experiences with comprehensive virtual team assessments.

Variation in General Practice Services Provided to Australian Workers with Low Back Pain: A Cross-Jurisdictional Comparative Study.

PURPOSE: To compare the frequency of General Practitioner (GP) services and the time between first and last GP services (service duration) provided to workers with low back pain (LBP) between four Australian workers' compensation jurisdictions. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study using service level data collated from the Australian states of Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. Negative binomial regression was used to compare GP service volume between jurisdictions in workers with accepted LBP compensation claims. Quantile regression was used to compare GP service duration. Models were adjusted for sociodemographic factors and occupation. Analyses were repeated in four cohorts with progressively more restrictive cohort definitions to account for the influence of jurisdictional policy variation in employer excess, service delivery and maximum time-loss benefit duration. RESULTS: The study sample included 47,185 time-loss claims accepted between July 2010 and June 2015, that were linked with 452,391 GP services. Workers with LBP in Queensland recorded significantly fewer GP services funded and recorded significantly shorter average service duration than in other states. This pattern of jurisdictional variation was evident in all four cohorts, but was attenuated when cohorts excluded short- and long duration claims. In the final, most restricted cohort statistically significant adjusted incidence rate ratios of 1.47-1.60 were observed in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, while these states recorded additional service duration of 4.3-20.7 weeks at the median. CONCLUSION: There is significant variation in provision of GP services to injured workers with LBP between four Australian workers' compensation jurisdictions. Administrative requirements for time-based provision of work capacity certificates by medical practitioners may be contributing to service variation.

Nail gun injuries: not just an occupational hazard.

INTRODUCTION: Nail guns are commonly used in the construction industry. They represent an occupational hazard, and in the context of mental illness can pose a threat to life. AIM: To determine the number of patients admitted to Auckland City Hospital (ACH) with a nail gun injury, and to review the current New Zealand legislation surrounding nail guns. METHODS: A 25-year retrospective review of patients admitted to ACH with a nail gun injury was performed by searching the ACH Trauma Registry. New Zealand legislation was reviewed. RESULTS: Between 1994 and 2019, 45 patients were admitted to ACH with a nail gun injury. Two subgroups were identified: 31% with an intentional injury; 69% with an unintentional injury. All patients were male. The mean age was 36.3. Patients with an intentional injury had a higher mortality rate (21.4% vs 9.5%), Injury Severity Scores (24.2 vs 3.4) and ICU admission rate (50% vs 3%) and required more intensive post-injury care when compared to unintentional injuries. There is currently no legislation in New Zealand specifically governing the use of nail guns. Only powder-actuated nail guns require certification. CONCLUSION: The continued occurrence of unintentional nail gun injuries and the high lethality of intentional injuries represent two distinct areas of concern. The Government should publish guidance aimed at improving safety and reducing the rate of intentional injury.

Returning to Work After an Injury or Illness.

When we experience an injury or illness, it can affect our ability to work. Work rehabilitation helps people return to work after an illness or injury. When possible, work rehabilitation can also help people stay at work as they manage their illness or injury. To understand how physical therapists can best support people as they return to work, experts in work rehabilitation reviewed all the available research and discussed what the research means. These experts shared their findings and recommendations in "Clinical Guidance to Optimize Work Participation After Injury or Illness: The Role of Physical Therapists," published in JOSPT in August 2021. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2021;51(8):382. doi:10.2519/jospt.2021.0506.

Clinical Guidance to Optimize Work Participation After Injury or Illness: Using the Evidence to Guide Physical Therapist Practice.

Work rehabilitation refers to the process of assisting workers to remain at work or return to work (RTW) in a safe and productive manner, while limiting the negative impact of work restriction, unemployment, and work disability. The clinical practice guideline (CPG) published in the August 2021 issue of JOSPT provides guidance for physical therapy clinicians when evaluating, treating, and managing individuals who experience limitations in the ability to participate in work following injury or illness. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2021;51(8):380-381. doi:10.2519/jospt.2021.0505.

Clinical Guidance to Optimize Work Participation After Injury or Illness: The Role of Physical Therapists.

Work rehabilitation refers to the process of assisting workers to remain at work or return to work (RTW) in a safe and productive manner, while limiting the negative impact of restricted work, unemployment, and work disability. The primary purpose of this clinical practice guideline (CPG) is to systematically review available scientific evidence and provide a set of evidence-based recommendations for effective physical therapy evaluation, treatment, and management of individuals experiencing limitations in the ability to participate in work following injury or illness. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2021;51(8):CPG1-CPG102. doi:10.2519/jospt.2021.0303.

Injury epidemiology in professional ballet: a five-season prospective study of 1596 medical attention injuries and 543 time-loss injuries.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the incidence rate, severity, burden and aetiology of medical attention and time-loss injuries across five consecutive seasons at a professional ballet company. METHODS: Medical attention injuries, time-loss injuries and dance exposure hours of 123 professional ballet dancers (women: n=66, age: 28.0±8.3 years; men: n=57, age: 27.9±8.5 years) were prospectively recorded between the 2015/2016 and 2019/2020 seasons. RESULTS: The incidence rate (per 1000 hours) of medical attention injury was 3.9 (95% CI 3.3 to 4.4) for women and 3.1 (95% CI 2.6 to 3.5) for men. The incidence rate (per 1000 hours) of time-loss injury was 1.2 (95% CI 1.0 to 1.5) for women and 1.1 (95% CI 0.9 to 1.3) for men. First Soloists and Principals experienced between 2.0-2.2 additional medical attention injuries per 1000 hours and 0.9-1.1 additional time-loss injuries per 1000 hours compared with Apprentices (p≤0.025). Further, intraseason differences were observed in medical attention, but not time-loss, injury incidence rates with the highest incidence rates in early (August and September) and late (June) season months. Thirty-five per cent of time-loss injuries resulted in over 28 days of modified dance training. A greater percentage of time-loss injuries were classified as overuse (women: 50%; men: 51%) compared with traumatic (women: 40%; men: 41%). CONCLUSION: This is the first study to report the incidence rate of medical attention and time-loss injuries in professional ballet dancers. Incidence rates differed across company ranks and months, which may inform targeted injury prevention strategies.

Traumatic Rupture of the Flexor Carpi Ulnaris Muscle Belly in a Circus Rigger.

Closed traumatic rupture of forearm flexor muscles has been reported rarely. Previous reports have included ruptures of the flexor digitorum profundus, flexor digitorum superficialis, flexor pollicis longus, flexor carpi radialis, pronator quadratus and the palmaris longus. We report a patient with a closed traumatic rupture through the muscle belly of the flexor carpi ulnaris and summarise the published literature on ruptures involving the forearm flexor muscles. Overall, conservative treatment can result in excellent outcomes. Early surgical intervention is recommended in patients with nerve involvement and compartment syndrome and delayed reconstruction may be considered for patients with functional deficits.

The Human Tissue-Engineered Cornea (hTEC): Recent Progress.

Each day, about 2000 U.S. workers have a job-related eye injury requiring medical treatment. Corneal diseases are the fifth cause of blindness worldwide. Most of these diseases can be cured using one form or another of corneal transplantation, which is the most successful transplantation in humans. In 2012, it was estimated that 12.7 million people were waiting for a corneal transplantation worldwide. Unfortunately, only 1 in 70 patients received a corneal graft that same year. In order to provide alternatives to the shortage of graftable corneas, considerable progress has been achieved in the development of living corneal substitutes produced by tissue engineering and designed to mimic their in vivo counterpart in terms of cell phenotype and tissue architecture. Most of these substitutes use synthetic biomaterials combined with immortalized cells, which makes them dissimilar from the native cornea. However, studies have emerged that describe the production of tridimensional (3D) tissue-engineered corneas using untransformed human corneal epithelial cells grown on a totally natural stroma synthesized by living corneal fibroblasts, that also show appropriate histology and expression of both extracellular matrix (ECM) components and integrins. This review highlights contributions from laboratories working on the production of human tissue-engineered corneas (hTECs) as future substitutes for grafting purposes. It overviews alternative models to the grafting of cadaveric corneas where cell organization is provided by the substrate, and then focuses on their 3D counterparts that are closer to the native human corneal architecture because of their tissue development and cell arrangement properties. These completely biological hTECs are therefore very promising as models that may help understand many aspects of the molecular and cellular mechanistic response of the cornea toward different types of diseases or wounds, as well as assist in the development of novel drugs that might be promising for therapeutic purposes.

Cryogenic Refrigerant Burns: A Rare Occupational Hazard.

BACKGROUND: Cryogenic burns induced by coolant gases used in refrigerators and air conditioners are rarely encountered, despite the wide use of these gases. To date, only a few cases have been reported in the literature. This study examined the occupational circumstances leading to such injuries, relevant injury sites, types of chemicals involved, and treatment measures. METHODS: This study was conducted in a tertiary burn center in India between March 2015 and March 2019. The demographic details, chemicals involved, and burn regions and characteristics were analyzed. FINDINGS: There were 15 burn cases all involving injury to the hand. All injuries were managed initially with dressings and nonoperative management. One patient required anti-edema therapy with limb elevation and fingertip debridement, while another patient required skin grafting. All patients had satisfactory hand function after treatment. CONCLUSIONS/APPLICATION TO PRACTICE: Cryogenic burn injuries caused by refrigerants are rare, and their etiology varies considerably. Exposure time is the primary factor that determines burn depth and severity; hence, reducing exposure time is important in first aid. Our findings suggest that after exposure, the patient should be treated in a specialized burn center. Adequate knowledge regarding the pathophysiology of these types of burn injuries and their management is necessary; otherwise, misjudgments in the treatment plan can lead to adverse consequences.

Evaluation of Absenteeism, Pain, and Disability in Nurses With Persistent Low Back Pain Following Cognitive Functional Therapy: A Case Series Pilot Study With 3-Year Follow-Up.

OBJECTIVE: Persistent low back pain (PLBP) is a common and costly health problem worldwide. Better strategies to manage it are required. The purpose of this study was to longitudinally evaluate absenteeism, pain, and disability in nurses with PLBP following a cognitive functional therapy (CFT) intervention. METHODS: In this case series pilot study, 33 eligible nurses with PLBP were recruited. During the baseline phase (phase A; no intervention), outcome measures were collected on 2 occasions 6 months apart (A1 and A2). During phase B, participants received an individualized CFT intervention for 14 weeks. During phase C (no intervention), outcomes were measured immediately after the intervention, as well as 3, 6, 9, 12, and 36 months after the intervention (secondary outcomes only until 12 months). LBP-related work absenteeism, pain intensity (numerical pain rating scale) and disability (Oswestry Disability Index) were the primary outcomes. Health care seeking, a range of psychological and lifestyle variables, and global perceived effect were secondary outcomes. RESULTS: Days of absenteeism due to LBP were significantly reduced in the first and second calendar years after the CFT intervention but not the third and fourth. Disability was significantly reduced immediately after (-4.4; 95% CI = -6.5 to -2.2) and at 3 months (-4.3; 95% CI = -6.6 to -2.0), 9 months (-6.0; 95% CI = -8.1 to -3.9), and 12 months (-4.9; 95% CI = -7.0 to -2.8) after the intervention. Pain was significantly reduced immediately after (-1.2; 95% CI = -1.7 to -0.8) and at 3 months (-1.5; 95% CI = -2.0 to -0.9), 9 months (-1.1; 95% CI = -1.9 to -0.3), and 12 months (-0.9; 95% CI = -1.5 to -0.2) after the intervention. Total health care seeking (consults and proportion of participants) was significantly reduced after the intervention. All psychosocial variables, except for 1, demonstrated significant improvements at all follow-up assessments. CONCLUSIONS: This case series pilot study demonstrated significant reductions in LBP-related absenteeism, pain intensity, disability, health care seeking, and several psychological and lifestyle behaviors until the 1-year follow-up among nurses with PLBP following an individualized CFT intervention. Further evaluation of the efficacy of CFT in high-quality randomized clinical trials among nurses is recommended.

Comparison Between Two Strategies of Topical Treatment in Tar Burn: A Case Report.

The management of tar burns presents a wide range of possible approaches, and several strategies can be used to reduce the damage regarding the removal of tar adhered to the patient's skin. Tar residues should preferably be emulsified with solvent solutions. Due to the low incidence of tar burns, it has not yet been possible to select the appropriate agent for the removal of the adhered tar. In this article, we reported a case of a 47-year-old man with a tar burn in his forehead region and his both upper limbs treated with two different approaches and the outcomes. In the right upper limb, the removal of tar with oil-based on essential fatty acids was attempted at the time of hospital admission, whereas in the left upper limb, he was treated with 1% silver sulfadiazine cream, sterile gauze, and bandage. On the right upper limb, the treatment was eventually performed with debridement and split-thickness skin grafting. On the left upper limb, there was complete re-epithelialization of the burns. The more conservative approach of keeping a dressing with 1% silver sulfadiazine on the tar itself, followed by removing the material in the dressing changes was considered better than the immediate removal of tar with an oily solution, especially about pain. Our impression was that the application of 1% silver sulfadiazine cream at the time of the admission, as well as in the following days, may be beneficial for the removal of the tar in close contact with the skin. Possibly, this approach leads to less trauma to the skin and, eventually, simplifies the treatment of burns by hot tar.

The relationship of occupational injury and use of mental health care.

INTRODUCTION: Symptoms of depression and anxiety are a common consequence of occupational injury regardless of its cause and type. Nevertheless, mental health care is rarely covered by workers' compensation systems. The aim of this study was to assess the use of mental health care post-injury. METHODS: We used a subsample of patient-care workers from the Boston Hospital Workers Health Study (BHWHS). We matched one injured worker with three uninjured workers during the period of 2012-2014 based on age and job title (nurse or patient-care associate) and looked at their mental health care use pre- and post-injury using medical claims data from the employer sponsored health plan. We used logistic regression analysis to assess the likelihood of mental health care use three and six months post-injury controlling for any pre-injury visits. Analyses were repeated separately by job title. RESULTS: There were 556 injured workers between 2012 and 2014 that were matched with three uninjured workers at the time of injury (n = 1,649). Injured workers had a higher likelihood of seeking mental health care services than their uninjured counterparts during the six months after injury (OR = 1.646, 95% CI: 1.23-2.20), but not three months post-injury (OR = 0.825, 95% CI: 0.57-1.19). Patient-care associates had a higher likelihood to seek mental health care post-injury, than nurses (OR: 2.133 vs OR: 1.556) during the six months period. CONCLUSIONS: Injured workers have a higher likelihood to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety based on their use of mental health care post-injury and use is more predominant among patient-care associates; however, our sample has a small number of patient-care associates. Practical Applications: Treating depression and anxiety as part of the workers' compensation system has the potential of preventing further physical ailment and improving the return to work process regardless of nature of injury.

Ipsilateral simultaneous inferior shoulder dislocation and posterior elbow dislocation: A case report.

This case report presents a 21-year-old male construction worker with ipsilateral inferior shoulder and posterior elbow dislocations, accompanied with other injuries. Such a combination of injury undoubtedly occurs; however, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case. The prompt closed reductions without waiting for anesthesia were accomplished without the help of an assistant using a novel technique. The patient returned to his job with considerable recovery of motion and strength despite his permanent paralysis of the deltoid muscle and he was still employed as a worker after four years. He was abducting his arm by using his accessory muscles, which contribute to abduction when arm is externally rotated. The maneuver described in the report can be used to reduce all inferior shoulder dislocations and it is worth to know that working at a job requiring high level of activity is still possible despite a permanent loss of axillary nerve function.

Increasing Physical Therapy Visits as a Marker for Time Lost From Work and High Workers' Compensation Claim Costs.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the association between physical therapy (PT) visits and workers' compensation costs and lost time. METHOD: A total of 40,203 lost-time claims (1998 to 2018) were analyzed. RESULTS: The odds ratio of total paid claim costs more than or equal to $100,000 increased with the number of PT visits from 1.91 with 1 to 3 PT visits (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.62 to 2.26) to 5.56 (95% CI: 4.86 to 6.37) for workers with a surgical procedure and more than or equal to 50 PT visits versus those without PT visits, when controlling for confounding factors. The risk of remaining at an off work status is greatest among claims involving surgery, escalating among claims with 15 or more PT visits (hazard ratio more than or equal to 3.76). CONCLUSIONS: PT visits may be used as a marker for high workers' compensation cost and delayed return-to-work.

Effects of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment on Musicians: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Professional musicians frequently suffer from musculoskeletal complaints and disorders (MCD), which can be treated by osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness and efficacy of OMT in adult musicians. METHODS: A systematic literature search included the electronic databases PubMed/MEDLINE, Medpilot, EBSCOhost, BioMedCentral, OSTMED-Dr, osteopathic-research.com, PEDro, hand searches, and contact to European osteopathic academies. Interventional and observational studies published between January 1999 and January 2019, of professional or amateur musicians who were either healthy or had MCD treated by OMT, were included. The quality of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was assessed by the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) Scale ranging between 0 and 10 points. RESULTS: Only 5 studies were identified investigating OMT in musicians, including 1 RCT (cross-over design), 3 clinical controlled trials, and 1 case report. The internal validity of the RCT was assessed as 6 points. OMT was reported to have a positive impact on healthy singers, improving phonation time, voice quality, and voice range. It also improved the cervical range of motion in violinists. No adverse events were observed, although only the cross-over RCT reported partly an assessment of adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence for OMT in adult musicians is very limited. Prospective controlled clinical trials investigating OMT in musicians are required.

Work-Related Burn Injuries in a Tertiary Care Burn Center, 2013 to 2018.

The features of work-related burn (WRB) injuries are not well defined in the literature and they vary depending on geographical location. We wanted to describe these characteristics among patients treated in the UNC Burn Center to evaluate the potential impact of commonly accepted prevention efforts. Adults of working age, admitted between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2018, were identified using our Burn Center Registry. Demographic data, characteristics of injury, course of treatment, and patients' outcomes were described. Differences between work-related and non-work-related injuries were evaluated using the Chi-square test and Student t-test where appropriate. Three thousand five hundred and forty-five patients were included. WRB cases constituted 18% of the study population, and this proportion remained relatively stable during the study timeframe. Young white males were the majority of this group. When compared with non-WRB patients, they were characterized by fewer co-morbidities, decreased TBSA burns, decreased risk of inhalation injury, shorter time of intensive care treatment, shorter lengths of hospital stay, and lower treatment cost. In contrast to non-WRB, among which flame injuries were the main reason for admission, work-related patients most often suffered scald burns. They also had a dramatically increased proportion of chemical and electrical burns, making the latter the most common cause of death in that group. WRB are characterized by a characteristic patient profile, burn etiologies, and outcomes. Learning specific patterns at this group may contribute to optimize work safety regulations and medical interventions.

Developing guidelines to support injured workers who live and work with chronic pain.

BACKGROUND: Living and working with chronic pain requires persons to alter lifestyles and have the knowledge as well as support to manage unforeseen challenges. Knowledge for persons living with pain who want to participate in meaningful paid and unpaid work is not easily accessible. While there is literature on chronic pain management, work transitions and return to work, less emphasis has been placed on the complexity of living and working with chronic pain. The Creating a Way Forward Project was envisioned to address this gap and to identify the informational needs of workers with pain, health/helping professionals (workers' advisors, return to work specialists, legal representatives), and stakeholders. The overarching aim of the project was to use evidence and experiential knowledge to inform the development of a foundation for educational guides and toolkits to support workers with pain to achieve their outcomes for remaining at work. METHODS: Phase one of the project involved a scoping review of chronic pain and work. Phase two involved stakeholder consultations, a focus group and knowledge integration of the literature and experiential insights. Knowledge synthesis drew on a Template Analysis of multiple sources of data. RESULTS: Knowledge domains and key components were identified for persons with pain and for the health/helping professions. CONCLUSION: These domains reflect a foundation for knowledge in practical training and the development of curriculum for education in self-management program and in inter professional health profession education. These knowledge domains provide a basis for future research in integrated approaches and knowledge use toward improving transitions for persons living with chronic pain who want to participate in productive paid and unpaid work. Ongoing research in knowledge domains that health providers and persons with pain need will expand the potential for improving health outcomes in living with and managing pain.