Change for the Ohio nurse practitioner treating worker's compensation patients: a needs analysis

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Policy
• Advanced Practice Nursing
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Nurse practitioners (NPs) in Ohio face limitations in treating worker's compensation (WC) patients due to bureaucratic requirements.
• Legislation changes are needed to improve the scope of practice for Advanced Practice Nursing in Ohio.
• Collaboration with an Ohio organization aims to address legislative barriers for NPs treating WC patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a needs analysis for legislative change regarding NP practice in Ohio.
• To evaluate disparities in work restriction recommendations between NPs and physicians for WC patients.
• To support NPs in independently signing the Medco-14 form for WC patients.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative study involving chart reviews of WC patients assessed by NPs.
• Analysis focused on initial injury evaluations and work restriction recommendations.
• Random chart selection from rural Ohio NPs within a specific 3-month timeframe.

Main Results:

• A review of 70 charts found no discrepancies between NP and physician work recommendations.
• 100% concordance between NP and physician recommendations indicates NP competency in assessing work restrictions.

Conclusions:

• Allowing NPs to sign Medco-14 forms will improve patient access to care and outcomes.
• This study provides foundational data for legislative change in Ohio.
• A legislative proposal is being drafted to permit NPs to independently sign the Medco-14 form for WC patients.