An insurance and care provider has significantly reduced treatment approval timeframes with a 12-week pilot that trialled how a credible panel of medical specialists can support faster treatment approvals for injured workers.
icare's Medical Support Panel (MSP) pilot, which has run since mid-May 2017, has slashed treatment approval times from up to six weeks to an average of just four days for more than 100 workers so far involved in the pilot.
The also yielded the following interim outcomes:
- 73% of new treatment requests reviewed by MSP were supported;
- Only 12% of cases referred to the MSP were referred to an independent medical examination (IME) for review.
- Of the remaining cases, injured workers may have received a different treatment recommendation or new case strategy after all stakeholders have reached an agreement.
Dr Chris Colquhoun, icare chief medical officer, said the speed
of decision-making achieved in the pilot to date was exactly the outcome icare was looking for.
“The trial has already shown a strong evidence base at the halfway mark, meaning injured workers get their treatment faster,” Dr Colquhoun said.
“Through this pilot, we’re providing our case managers with credible medical recommendations to help them make more informed decisions when it comes to the whole-person health and wellbeing of injured workers.
“The recommendations provided by the Medical Support Panel are evidenced-based, tapping into the most current global medical practices and recommended treatment pathways for different types of injuries,” he said.
Dr Colquhoun added that the preliminary results of the trial show that “a small step in how we approach claims management can make a big difference to people’s outcomes”.
“In a number of cases, the medical panel collaborated with the injured worker, treating doctor and case manager to reach agreement and recommend a different treatment pathway than that originally proposed. This is evidence that the panel not only ensures workers receive treatment faster, but also receive the best treatment for their circumstances,” he said.
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