Preventing Delayed Recovery in Injured Workers

TRACK: OEM Clinical Practice

Marcos A. Iglesias, MD, MMM, FAAFP, FACOEM, The Hartford, Hartford, CT

Bob and Joe are the same age, they work together doing the same job and suffered the same injury. Bob returned to work after a short course of treatment. Joe is still off work 2 years later. Many workers have simple musculoskeletal injuries. Some recover quickly without problems, yet others suffer from significant delays in their recovery. Why? What are the factors that predispose an injured worker to go down the path of delayed recovery? How can physicians quickly identify those at highest risk? And, most importantly, what measures can we take to help the injured worker recover their life speedily? This session will focus on practical tools and techniques to help minimize injured worker disability and delayed recovery.