Development of clinical standards in industrial rehabilitation

Before discussing adjustments in the fees for the clinical services of industrial rehabilitation, the Medical Free Guide Committee of the Maryland Industrial Commission requested a copy of the clinical standards for these services. However, there were no multidisciplinary standards for industrial services that had state-wide approval. Therefore, a committee was formed to write the standards. Following a review of the literature and unpublished work from other associations and state organizations, standards were developed. Constructive criticism was solicited from national and local professionals and organizations with demonstrated interest and experience in providing or using these services or with experience writing standards. Further comment was solicited from individuals in the state of Maryland before final editing. Because of the dearth of outcome studies supporting the efficacy of clinical services in industrial rehabilitation, the standards describing a level of expectation from clinical services have become important for state organizations responsible for making decisions on reimbursement for clinical services. This paper summarizes the process used for the development of clinical standards of industrial rehabilitation services.