Improving work programs' delivery of information and service to workers' compensation carriers

This paper presents the results of a telephone survey of workers' compensation carriers, addressing how occupational therapy work programs can best meet these carriers' needs. Fifty percent of the market share of workers' compensation carriers in Michigan participated in the survey. Survey results indicated that workers' compensation carriers found Functional Capacity Evaluations, job analyses, and work hardening to be important work rehabilitation services. A significant portion of the respondents (88%) stated that they recognized the need for clinically successful work rehabilitation programs and indicated that if they had return to work rates for different providers, they would utilize providers that had the most successful outcome data in a specific geographical area. Occupational therapists can use these survey results to improve their services and communication with insurance to ensure that injured workers will continue to have access to the efficacious interventions occupational therapists provide in work rehabilitation.