As an Industrial Therapist, you provide enormous value to your Employer clients. But in order to fully comprehend just how valuable your services can be, let’s step into the shoes of others on the team.

Let’s pretend you’re an Employer whose Employees sometimes become injured on the job. The costs can be considerable, between Workers’ Compensation, lost productivity, and reduced worker morale. Then, of course, there are potential legal fees and other associated costs. Everyone involved in the situation, including doctors, rehab counselors, attorneys, and insurers, must come to an understanding and agree on the appropriate time for the Employee to return. They must also agree on any work modifications that could be necessary as the Employee continues to recover.

For example…

1. Physicians need data to determine ‘release-to-work’ recommendations
2. Employers need data to trust the Employee’s abilities and limitations
3. Insurers need data to make decisions regarding continuing treatment authorization, pursuing legal action, engaging specialists, or closing the case
4. Attorneys need data to determine the difference between a case that should be pursued, and one that would potentially waste the court’s time
5. Employees need data to feel confident about returning to work

The good news is that your injured patients, the Employees, can usually return to work. The bad news is that, in the past, getting everyone on the same page often became a guessing game or even an all-out battle. A therapist’s subjective interpretation of an Employee’s abilities is not enough.

That’s why Validity Determinations within Return-to-Work Functional Capacity Assessments have become crucial components of this process. These Determinations offer hard data, rather than interpretations, to determine each Employee’s precise level of functioning and effort.

KEY Assessments employ 85 data points to determine whether an Employee is giving valid participation, which means they are putting forth full effort and can return safely to work duties as identified in the FCA testing.

In other cases, an Employee might be performing at conditionally valid participation. The individual is performing at less than their full capacity, but unknowingly (may have developed chronic pain status).

Those who perform at conditionally invalid participation are overperforming their true ability, and strong parameters must be instituted to prevent re-injury.

And finally, an Employee might be found to be performing at invalid participation levels. They are knowingly giving less than full effort.

It is easy to see how understanding not only the Employee’s actual physical abilities, but also their level of participation, is important to every team member during the return-to-work process. This type of data helps to ensure that all parties reach a clear and accurate consensus on the case, and move forward in a way that is safe for the Employee, legally sound, and financially and morally responsible.

Your role as an Industrial Therapist is so crucial to this process. You truly serve as the glue that puts everything together! It’s no wonder Industrial Therapists are viewed as a vital resource in Workers Comp cases. Learn more at www.KEYmethod.com.