Still using 18th century tools  for 21st century issues?

In 2003 Docusign emerged to revolutionize electronic agreement management.

Nowadays it feels backwards to have to sign an old fashioned pen and paper form. Everything fresh is done and shared electronically.

And yet, somehow, the folks in charge of helping an injured worker return to work missed the revolution. A chaos of pen and forms is still trying to hold the whole Workers’ Compensation system together.

Do you ever get the sads because an employee forgets the long awaited paper RTW form at home?

Or doesn’t it suck when everyone has to wait a week (or more) for the doctor to fill the form out (and then have staff fax it over)?

And who hasn’t cried when the highly anticipated RTW form arrives but then has a few scribbles and does address the important questions?

Can’t the universe do better?

Now, with RTW Hub we can.

The Problem.

In many ways, the traditional workers’ compensation system has not changed in over a century. Outdated tools have faced historical bottlenecks in the return to work process.

  • Studies have shown that it usually takes between 7 and 21 days for a form to be submitted by a physician for an employee with an injury.  The result of these delays is many unnecessary days of lost work. [Mathematica Policy Research] [references below]

  • Use of outdated communication channels like fax, mail, and phone are inefficient and can lead to a frustrating back and forth. This has claims loss ramifications—claims stay open longer, injured workers don’t get the treatment they need and are therefore more likely to litigate, potentially increasing costs.

Until now. RTW Hub is changing the way things get done.

The Solution.

Studies have shown that “employees treated by physicians who more frequently used the recommended best practices experienced quicker return to work than employees treated by physicians who used best practices less frequently.” [9]

Smart technologies have demonstrated success in helping physicians to implement best practices.  QR codes, for example, have been shown to help improve quick access to patient information and reduce costs. [10] The use of QR code’s has also been shown to help improve identification and communication between parties. [11]

Not only QR codes but digital signatures are dramatically changing the way healthcare is delivered and communicated.  E-signature programs are part of a growing industry that has been shown to be a safe, secure tool in the move towards paperless systems. [12]

RTW Hub is a solution built from the marriage of these kinds of smart technologies and the real-life experience of a physician working in the trenches of the Worker’s Compensation system.   The RTW Hub tool aims to:

  • Decrease days of lost work by reducing lapses of communication

  • Focus medical providers on best practices

  • Improve outcomes for injured workers and the system by helping to better coordinate care

  • Utilize data analytics to refine the algorithm for providers completing the RTW questionnaire

Contact Us

Connect to see how RTW Hub can make your outcomes better.

References

  1. https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-trends/specialized-market-research-reports/advisory-financial-services/specialist-insurance-lines/workers-compensation-insurance.html
  2. https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/work/costs/work-injury-costs
  3. https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/work/costs/work-injury-costs
  4. https://news.gallup.com/poll/8494/healthcare-shortage-cost-lost-workdays.aspx
  5. https://safetymanagementgroup.com/resources/injury-cost-calculator
  6. https://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/pdf/RTW_Role%20of%20Physician_2015-03.pdf
  7. https://www.workcompwire.com/2019/10/mariellen-blue-five-initial-evaluation-issues-that-may-delay-return-to-work
  8. https://www.workcompwire.com/2019/10/mariellen-blue-five-initial-evaluation-issues-that-may-delay-return-to-work 
  9. https://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/pdf/RTW_Role%20of%20Physician_2015-03.pdf
  10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28541108 
  11. https://www.jotform.com/blog/qr-code-reader-widget 
  12. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/01/14/1691142/0/en/2018-3-4-Bn-Digital-Signature-Market-by-Solution-Global-Market-Size-Share-Development-Growth-and-Demand-Forecast-2013-2023.html