Strengths and Weaknesses in Current Processes
6.9 Treatment Outcome: Strategies for Addressing the Individual’s Return to Work
The key issues in addressing the patients return to work are:
For physicians to realize that symptoms not clearly explainable by objective
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pathology and that unexplained delayed recovery may be due to psychosocial issues
For physicians to screen such patients with questionnaires to further document
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that psychosocial issues are a problem
For physicians to involve mental health professional in the care of these patients,
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however that is possible within the constraints of the workers’ compensation system For physicians to realize that work is good for people, and that being out of work
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actually causes medical disease and premature mortality; (Talmage & Melhorn, 2005; Waddell & Burton, 2006).
For physicians to properly assess risk and capacity, and leave tolerance decisions
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to the patient
For physicians to communicate with employers and case managers so that work-
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place issues are addressed as part of the psychosocial treatment
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