Costly Medical Errors – Surgery Is Not Always The Answer

Author in the Reduce Current Costs category

“Potentially preventable medical errors that occur during or after surgery may cost employers nearly $1.5 billion a year, according to new estimates by the Department of Health & Human Services’ (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).”

“In a study published in the July 28 issue of the journal Health Services Research, AHRQ’s William E. Encinosa, Ph.D. and Fred J. Hellinger, Ph.D., found that insurers paid an additional $28,218 (52 percent more) and an additional $19,480 (48 percent more) for surgery patients who experienced acute respiratory failure or post-operative infections, respectively, compared with patients who did not experience either error.”

The authors also found these additional costs for surgery patients who experienced the following medical errors compared with those who did not: More…

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Social Capital – Funding the Trust in Workers’ Compensation

Author in the Reduce Current Costs category

The workers’ compensation system is filled with complex relationships and competing agendas. It can be confusing or even exasperating for an employee who must navigate this system alone. Employees need an advocate they can rely on while in the workers’ compensation system.

The employer must be that advocate.

By investing in prevention and early return-to-work systems, an employer can create social capital – the trust or ‘good will’ needed to maintain relationships – even in difficult situations. The key is to select a talented employee health partner. Proof:Positive can help you make these systems your own, by involving employees during every step. Engaging employees in prevention and the return-to-work process builds trust and shuts down the avenues for over-treatment and litigation.

Ask yourself this question: Do we give a F.I.G. about our injured employees? Use this mnemonic device to assess your organization’s ability to maintain trust when an employee becomes injured and enters the workers’ compensation system.

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Know Your Work – The Benefit of a Physical Demand Analysis

Author in the Prevent Future Claims category

Successfully managing the return-to-work process requires employers to plug a gap in their knowledge. During our management careers, many of us have examined the supply chain, manufacturing process and distribution process. We think we know our business and the work that happens there.

We often don’t.

We don’t know what is required of the employees at the loading dock. We don’t know how difficult it might be to operate the high-torque impact wrench. We can only guess at the physical demands required to get the parts to the manufacturing line.

We don’t need to guess anymore. More…

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I Have the Answers…But You’re Standing on Them

Author in the Prevent Future Claims category

Can you imagine knowing how to lower your chances of cancer, decreasing the risk of heart disease, or having stress and depression, pardon the pun, a worry of the past? How about having a stronger heart, being more alert? Your wounds healing at a faster rate or even make your sex life a little steamier? Is it a perfect pill? No. You’re standing on the answer, or at least you should be. Get up and walk. There are numerous pieces of research that say exercise is the key to all, and many more, of these issues. Even small increments of ten minutes a day can help promote healing, boost your immune system, and decrease the stresses and risks of heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, and many other ailments. There is evidence that exercise can help you to recover faster and return to work earlier, easier, and with more success.

How Exercise Helps:

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Health and Wellness Rooms Help Reduce Work Comp Costs

Author in the Reduce Current Costs category

Educating your employee about their injury is a good idea. What benefits do you get when your employee understands safety awareness and proper lifting? Is there a program that can help your injured employees understand their injury, help rehabilitate and return to full duty?

Health and Wellness Rooms are your answer! You can benefit greatly when using the Early Return to Work Program. Our post-accident prevention program can help minimize workers’ compensation costs and reduce overall losses for your company or business. The program works closely with the injured employee’s doctor to develop a plan to return the worker back to full duty. Our Health and Wellness Room can help with those that need a temporary shift in responsibilities through our light-duty program.

In this program we will educate the injured employee. We don’t just rely on the doctor to help the injured worker return to work. They are encouraged – within their restrictions – to walk, stretch and complete the therapy given to them by their doctor to aid in their recovery. They will have the opportunity to read and learn about their injury and ways of prevention. In a classroom environment they will have an open forum to ask and learn about their injuries. All of this will be done with the goal of returning the injured worker back to work quickly, safely, with more awareness of their injury, and with the knowledge of how to prevent future accidents from occuring. This way the injured employee continues to work while earning wages throughout recovery.

Learning can be very infectious and these employees can bring back a positive attitude and knowledge that can be shared with other employees. Let us help you:

Your company can undoubtedly save money with a program like this that has a proven method.

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Mental Attitude Can Have a Positive Affect on Physical Health

Author in the Prevent Future Claims, Reduce Current Costs category

Studies show that your mental health can influence your physical health. And certain personality traits – such as optimism or pessimism – can influence how well you live and even how long you live. It is important to create a positive atmosphere for your employees. It also very important to create that same environment for your injured employees. Having a positive mental outlook can also help promote healing. It is easy to forget about the physiological and psychological affects that an injury has on an employee.

Researchers evaluated results from a personality test taken by participants more than 30 years ago and compared them to the sudsequent mortality rates. They found that people who scored high on optimism had a 50 percent lower risk of premature death than those who scored more pessimistic. Besides a lowered risk of early death, researchers found other health benefits related to positive attitude. In the study, optimist reported:

  • Fewer problems with work or other daily activities because of physical or emotional health
  • Less pain and fewer limitations due to pain
  • Less interference from physical or emotional problems when engaging in social activities
  • Increased energy
  • Feeling more peaceful, happier and calmer

Source: FemHealth.com

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A Well Designed Return to Work Program

Author in the Reduce Current Costs category

A well-known proverb says, “Tell me and I will forget, show me and I will remember, involve me and I will understand.” This quote explains what good training can do for any safety program.  You may already have a safety program at your job but what about education for your injured employees. Once injured there is a great opportunity to help your employees learn about their injuries and how to prevent further accidents from occurring.

Proof:Positive Consulting can help your injured employees return to work fast, safely and effectively. At Proof:Positive, our objective is to make worksites safer, more efficient, and more profitable. We accomplish this by providing comprehensive light-duty and safety programs that cut operational costs and speed return to work for employees on temporary disability. Aside from accident prevention, an Early Return to Work (ERTW) program is a manager’s best tool to control Worker’s Compensation costs and reduce losses. ERTW programs have been proven to work in state agencies, the public sector and private firms across the nation. The key word is “Early.” Your response at the time you learn of the illness or injury has a profound impact on the outcome of most cases. ERTW actions should start as soon as possible. However, because specific illnesses or injuries may require varying amounts of time for healing, the time limits on Early Return to Work should also be flexible and based on the medical judgement of the treating physician. More…

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Early Return to Work Program

Author in the Reduce Current Costs category

return-to-work-107x159.jpg“Early Return-To-Work” is our proven, post-accident prevention program that minimizes workers’ compensation costs and reduces overall losses. The program’s goal is to coordinate and oversee, with proper medical approval, a plan for employees’ return to work, even if it requires a temporary shift in job responsibilities administered through our light-duty program—The Health and Wellness Room. The Proof:Positive Return-To-Work program can:

  • Foster and enhance the physical and psychological recovery process for the injured workers.
  • Reduce medical, disability, and lost time costs.
  • Reduce indirect accident costs.
  • Minimize the chance of re-injury.
  • Encourage cooperation between employees and management.
  • Establish a more stable workforce.
  • Enhance the injured employees sense of confidence and well-being.

Learn more…

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The Proof:Positive Model

Author in the Featured Posts 2 category

Proof:Positive is a full-service consulting consortium that aids in reducing and preventing workplace injuries, neutralizing fraud, and saving valuable insurance dollars; our mission is to reduce injury and illness costs. We accomplish this by raising the awareness of health and safety…

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