The concerns and issues of injured workers in relation to claims/injury management and rehabilitation: the need for new operational frameworks

Abstract

On this basis some suggestions can be made for improvements to practice.

Systematic review of the qualitative literature on return to work after injury

“…An absence of goodwill exists among workers if they feel that managers or health care providers are not acting in their best interests and that other issues, such as cost savings and production statistics (26,29,30) and timely case closure, are an implicit priority. These conditions may undermine worker motivation to cooperate with returnto-work efforts (31,32). In turn, employers may lack motivation to commit fully to return-to-work policies when they suspect that a worker has taken advantage of an injury to reduce effort at work.…”

“…Several studies found that, during the return-to-work process, injured workers experience diminished social status, feelings that they do not fit in, and a need to justify the genuineness of injury to their employers, co-workers, and friends (32). Workers also feel under scrutiny about the validity of their injuries and their entitlement to compensation and time off work (26).…”

“…For instance, in various Canadian jurisdictions, the system is set up in a way that workers are expected to be self-reliant, to assert their legal rights, and to balance the demands of the workplace, insurers and health professionals during the process of recovery and return to work (25,26). However, injured workers are reported as feeling vulnerable and less than self-reliant-they are unsure about process, procedures, and entitlements, and they may lack guidance or support from their workplace (25,26,30,32). Workers often do not understand the rules about workers' compensation or the language used by providers.…”

Narratives of Sick Leave, Return to Work and Job Mobility for People with Common Mental Disorders in Sweden

“…In RTW processes, we also need to consider contacts with social insurance officials and employers, where the conditions for equal dialogue may be different than in healthcare, due to these actors' influence over the person's financial situation. Here, it is also relevant to refer to the person's experience of justice and recognition in the rehabilitation process, where it has been noted how perceptions of injustice, mistrust or stigmatization negatively affects the conditions for RTW [24][25][26].…”

Cubital Tunnel Syndrome Occurrence in Workers: A Review

“…The worker is subject to the power imbalance with the system, prolonged claims and appeals processes, medical reports being used out of context, and a general lack of knowledge about rights. Claims can be manipulated by ignoring or contesting diagnoses, using confusing jargon and legalistic communication, slow payments to non-preferred physician to discourage treatment [39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51].…”