Early Intervention in the Workforce
Between 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.
Physical Therapy’s Role in the Workplace
Physical therapists play an active role in the care and prevention of Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the workplace. Musculoskeletal pain refers to pain in the muscles, tendons, bones, joints, ligaments and nerves of the body. These MSDs are detrimental to the employee’s health, expensive for the business, and lead to lost time and turnover. In fact, musculoskeletal disorders are the largest healthcare expense in the U.S. Taken on in the form of workers’ compensation claims, MSDs account for over $50 billion dollars a year – many of which, may be preventable.
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