info@hippocratesmed.ca
604-606-0814
604-261-5290RETURN-TO-WORK PLANNING
GOALS
The goal should always be to, if possible, return a claimant to their own job with or without modifications/accommodations, or a different job that matches their functional tolerances. Below are some of the services that can provide return-to-work guidance, all of which could be arranged by Hippocrates Medical Assessments.
FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY EVALUATIONS (FCE’S)
See our section about FCE’s on the site by clicking this link.
WORKSITE ASSESSMENTS & JOB DEMAND ANALYSES
Worksite Assessments are often performed by OT’s (occupational therapists). The OT can assess first-hand the physical lay-out of the job, as well as observe either other workers or the claimant carrying out some of the duties. The OT could provide ergonomic education as well, in addition to potentially recommending ergonomic aids or some changes to the work station (if possible).
Furthermore, an OT could do a Job Demand Analysis, which is a detailed description of the required duties, including body positions assumed, amount of weight lifted, the amount of time spent on each duty, etc. The OT can then compare this to other data such as that obtained from the FCE and IME, to determine whether or not the claimant is a “job match” for the various required duties. This could lead to further direction of one’s rehabilitation and/or changes in the duties, the job environment, or the job itself if the claimant is not deemed employable in that capacity.
VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION
Vocational Rehabilitation consultants synthesize much of the information about the claim from the medical records, the IME, the FCE, the Job Demand Analysis, and the Worksite Assessment, in order to provide guidance related to return-to-work options.
Vocational Rehabilitation consultants assess claimants via tests and an interview. They tabulate the claimant’s education, experience, aptitudes, and interests. The consultant also administers tests to determine scholastic abilities, such as those involving reading and mathematics. In addition, from the information above, including factoring in the claimant’s physical and/or cognitive impairments, they perform a Transferable Skills Analysis, which provides guidance into potential alternate careers, using skills already in place from previous work. Sometimes, the vocational rehabilitation consultant recommends further education in order to enter a new career, or might simply opine that a claimant is not competitively employable.
Finally, a vocational rehabilitation consultant can perform labour market research to determine the availability of jobs in a potential alternate career, which allows the claimant and insurer to understand the feasibility of entering that career. This also helps to determine whether upgrading one’s education is practical, given the labour market in that field at a particular time.