Over the past 5 years, researchers at the University of Washington, in collaboration with the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, have conducted a series of health services research and policy studies. A major focus of these studies has been to explore new approaches for disability prevention. The first research activity was a comprehensive evaluation of the Washington State Managed Care Pilot Project (MCP). The MCP evaluation showed that use of an occupational-medicine model could reduce disability costs by 50%, primarily by reducing the number of injured workers on disability. No difference in short-term (6-week or 6-month) or long-term (2-year) outcomes were observed for workers treated under a managed care occupational medicine model as compared to workers treated under traditional fee-for-service arrangements. As a follow-up to the MCP evaluation, we conducted a policy study to examine how disability prevention efforts could be furthered within the regulatory and programmatic environment of the Washington State workers' compensation system. This policy study led to a series of recommendations that resulted in a research and development project that is currently ongoing. This project includes research to design and implement patient satisfaction and outcomes tracking systems, and the development of community-based pilot centers of education that will oversee and monitor the delivery of occupational health services in two pilot communities. A major focus of these centers’ activities will be disability prevention
Learning Objectives: Understanding methods of disability prevention. Knowledge of new developmetns in WA state in WC management
Keywords: Disability, Occupational Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.