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Disability management in a sample of Australian self-insured companies.

PURPOSE: Disability management (DM) is a term developed in North America and refers to the prevention and management of injury and illness in the workplace. The purpose of this paper is to report findings of an Australian study that examined whether self-insured employers in that country have implemented integrated DM programmes. Key principles underpinning such programmes are explored to identify the extent to which Australian employers have adopted them. METHOD: Data was collected from 29 self-insured Australian companies in three Australian States using a structured interview format with additional open-ended questions. RESULTS: It was found that companies have in place, to varying degrees, some of the key elements of disability management programmes. However, these elements were often not well integrated in a comprehensive disability management approach. The focus on workplace-based, early intervention in the area of return to work for injured employees was particularly strong, but there was little evidence of formal labour-management committee structures responsible for implementing DM programmes. CONCLUSIONS: If the concept of DM is relevant to the Australian environment then this study would suggest that self-insured companies need to undertake further work to develop integrated approaches to preventing and managing disability in the workplace. Several limitations of this study are highlighted and it is concluded that further work in this area is needed.

Australia↗

Musculoskeletal disability, employment, and rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVE: To determine which, if any, baseline social and disease characteristics can be used to identify persons with musculoskeletal disabilities accepted for state-federal vocational rehabilitation services who are most likely to return to work. METHODS: A database of case closures from the Alabama Vocational Rehabilitation Service was analyzed using segmentation modelling. This included all persons (n = 4093) with musculoskeletal disability who were accepted by the Alabama Vocational Rehabilitation Agency in 1987-91. Demographics, income, type of disability, severity of disability, medical insurance, similar benefits, benefit status, and referral source were independent variables. Outcome (dependent) variable was work status at end of agency services. RESULTS: Overall, 71% of persons with arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders who were accepted for vocational rehabilitation services in 1987-91 returned to work at the end of agency services. Segmentation modelling created a tree in which certain baseline characteristics formed subgroups with differing rates of successful rehabilitation. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) status was the single best predictor of rehabilitation. Seventy-three percent of nonbeneficiaries were rehabilitated compared to 55% of beneficiaries (p < 0.00001). For non-SSDI beneficiaries, education level > or = grade 12 was associated with better rehabilitation outcome (p < 0.00001). SSDI beneficiaries with nonback disorders fared better than those with back disorders (p < 0.05). Disease severity, assessed by Federal Special Programs criteria, was not associated with rehabilitation outcome at any level of the tree. CONCLUSION: Simple baseline social and disease characteristics can be used to identify groups of persons accepted for vocational rehabilitation services with musculoskeletal disability with differing rates of vocational rehabilitation. Disability benefit status and education level are important predictors of return to work after agency services. These findings can lead to the development of strategies to improve the efficacy of vocational rehabilitation services.

Adult↗

Insurance, employment, and psychosocial consequences of a diagnosis of hereditary hemochromatosis in subjects without end organ damage.

OBJECTIVES: Asymptomatic individuals with hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) may experience difficulties in obtaining employment or insurance, despite their good health. The extent to which these difficulties occur is unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the insurance, employment, and psychosocial consequences of a diagnosis of HH in subjects with no end organ damage. METHODS: In three outpatient clinics specializing in the treatment of HH, we performed a survey of individuals diagnosed with HH who were without end organ damage secondary to iron overload, along with their unaffected siblings. A review of the medical records of subjects with HH was performed. Main outcomes were attaining and keeping employment; health, disability and life insurance; and scores on the SF-36, a quality of life measure, and the SCL-90-R, a measure of psychological well-being. RESULTS: Of 130 eligible subjects with HH, 126 (97%) responded. Of the 55 eligible controls, 46 (84%) responded. Of the 126 subjects with HH, 25 (20%) described 28 incidents of insurance denial or increased premium rates, which they attributed to their diagnosis HH. Of the 28 incidents, 16 (57%) involved life insurance, eight (29%) involved health insurance, and four (14%) involved disability insurance. One subject reported an employment refusal. Five of the 25 subjects (20%) reporting insurance denial or increased premiums had significant comorbid conditions. One of 46 sibling controls (2%) reported an increased rate for life insurance (p = 0.003). No differences were noted in either the SF-36 or the SCL-90-R scores between subjects with HH and unaffected siblings. Overall rates of active health, disability, and life insurance were similar between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Insurance denial and increased premium rates are reported commonly among individuals with HH without end organ damage. However, the overall proportion of those with active insurance, the quality of life, and the psychological well-being of these subjects were similar to those of unaffected siblings.

Adult↗

Community-based rehabilitation in South Korea.

This paper gives a brief introduction to the geography and demography of the Republic of South Korea. Since 1988 South Korea has been actively legislating and implementing welfare policy for the disabled of the Republic. An overview of these policy changes is presented. The extent to which the policy has been implemented using community-based rehabilitation (CBR) is illustrated using an example from the North Wanju Project. Finally, there is a discussion of the future of CBR in South Korea and the means whereby there can be more social integration of the disabled.

Community Health Services↗

How employers can reduce the cost of their disability programs.

The rapid rate at which disability costs are rising is fueling the need to cut costs. This article details some strategies that employers can utilize to help keep disability costs under control. The authors discuss many difficult issues that need to be addressed to make productive changes to the existing status quo, which needs to be assessed for current strengths and weaknesses before changes can be made. Case studies are presented and many alternative plan designs are discussed that could involve varying cost savings depending upon the individual plan characteristics.

Benchmarking↗