Early Intervention in the Workforce
Leave a CommentBetween 2001 and 2013, it’s estimated that 80% of injured workers utilized healthcare pathways at some point during their recovery. Early Intervention (EI) is a proactive approach to preventing injuries and has been found to reduce the cost of care.
Conventional routes for recovery including urgent care, hospitalization, prescribed medication, and activity restriction should be considered once early intervention has failed. Many injuries are preventable if concerns are addressed proactively though an Early Intervention Program. Early intervention has been shown to keep individuals active and maintain full duty work status.
What Is Early Intervention?
Early intervention may take various forms, such as employer-based programs, health and wellness incentives for workers, and education. Early intervention specialists are vital in addressing systemic and individual concerns in long-term prevention1.
Early Intervention Specialists
Multiple avenues within the workforce may contribute to an injury, which may make isolating the risk of injury even more difficult. EI specialists provide expertise in preventing injury via ergonomic assessments, education to individuals, and job demand analyses that address external and internal factors that pose a risk for injury.
EI specialists are physical, occupational therapists, or athletic trainers who proactively prioritize individual concerns (e.g., musculoskeletal discomfort)1. Based on the employer and individual’s needs, EI specialists may also provide services on-site at the employer, virtually, and in an Athletico clinic
On-site and Near-site services
“On-site” encompasses the EI specialist being physically present at the workplace and providing the services previously stated, along with potential hands-on stretching and individual catered preventative home exercise programs (HEP) based on the workplace’s needs.
“Near-site” partners with an Athletico clinic to assess and provide proactive interventions. Near sites are a good option when there is not a onsite provider working at the employer’s location.
Is Conventional Therapy or Early Intervention Better for Returning to Work?
While injured workers who receive treatment under conventional therapeutic pathways (physical/occupational therapy) have been found to return to work overtime, early intervention specialists have demonstrated a reduced amount of time needed to RTW safely between three and thirty-six months, with the greatest difference made at the six-month mark3.
Additionally, EI specialists have helped reduce cost of care by $831 per claim upon an individual’s injury2. This is due to a smaller recovery window needed to RTW safely, between 21 and 25 days on average, over conventional therapy methods3. EI specialists were found to assist 92% of injured workers before recording an OSHA event or entering Workers’ Compensation1.
How does Early Intervention Help Long-Term?
The EI specialist may implement stretching and ergonomic revisions with follow-up visits based on the employer’s discretion. Due to the nature of addressing systemic concerns such as physicality, equipment height (such as tables being too low or high, causing back problems), and individual concerns, the EI specialist provides education that the individual (and employer) may implement long after they have left.
Staying Pro-active After Early Intervention
The employer may take the initiative in promoting workers to take routine breaks, modify external factors (lighting, temperature, noise, and equipment), and altering job tasks based on individual traits (height, medical history, etc.) to better match a more fitting job role based on the EI specialists job analysis to prevent potential injury risks.
Quick points on EI and specialists:
- Pro-active versus Re-active
- Quicker recovery post-injury
- More cost-effective
- Focus on ergonomics and job analysis concerns1
- Increased worker advocacy (report more concerns)1
- Focus on preventing injury with systemic and individual programs1
Does Athletico Provide EI?
Athletico provides EI through on-site and near-site (via Athletico clinics) services. The best part? Assessments are free, and workers can have up to four visits free to prevent injury.
The Athletico blog is an educational resource written by Athletico employees. Athletico bloggers are licensed professionals who abide by the code of ethics outlined by their respective professional associations. The content published in blog posts represents the opinion of the individual author based on their expertise and experience. The content provided in this blog is for informational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice and should not be relied on for making personal health decisions.
References:
1. “Research Shows Strong Connection Between Early Intervention Services and Overall Injury Reduction in Manufacturing”, Atlas Injury Prevention Solutions, November 16th, 2022. https://atlas-ips.com/about/archives/research-shows-strong-connection-between-early-intervention-services-and-overall-injury-reduction-in-manufacturing/
2. Donovan, M., Khan, A. & Johnston, V. The Effect of a Workplace-Based Early Intervention Program on Work-Related Musculoskeletal Compensation Outcomes at a Poultry Meat Processing Plant. J Occup Rehabil 27, 24–34 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-016-9628-3
3. Akbarzadeh Khorshidi H, Aickelin U, de Silva A. Evaluation of the Early Intervention Physiotherapist Framework for Injured Workers in Victoria, Australia: Data Analysis Follow-Up. Healthcare (Basel). 2023 Aug 4;11 (15): 2205. doi: 10.3390/healthcare11152205. PMID: 37570445; PMCID: PMC10418439.
4. “Stay At Work/Return To Work Research & Publications”, United States Department of Labor, 2020. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/initiatives/saw-rtw/research-pubs
