Common rehabilitation terms

Adjustment to injury counselling


Adjustment to injury counselling is a term used to describe counselling services to assist injured workers with their adjustment to injury. Counselling should be focused on the compensable components of the injury and aimed at achieving an early return to suitable work. It must be provided by a qualified rehabilitation counsellor, social worker or psychologist with qualifications acceptable to the insurer and must have prior approval from the insurer.

Case conference

A case conference is a conference between the relevant parties to plan, implement, manage or review a rehabilitation plan or treatment options. The case conference can be initiated by a treating medical practitioner, employer, rehabilitation provider or the insurer. Prior approval must be obtained from the insurer to ensure payment to the doctor.

Confidentiality

Rehabilitation information must be treated with sensitivity and confidentiality by all parties

Upon signing and submitting the application form for workers' compensation benefits, workers have provided the relevant parties with authority to exchange relevant confidential medical information pertaining to the submitted claim.

Functional capacity evaluation

A functional capacity evaluation is an assessment of a worker's functional status for the purpose of matching those capacities to the relevant work demands. It includes a range of dynamic and static tasks such as walking and sitting. The capacity to lift is also assessed.

These measures evaluate the worker's ability to perform the physical and/or cognitive demands of a job or range of jobs. It is used to:
  • define a worker's ability to perform dynamic, static and lifting tasks
  • match the worker's capacities to the requirements of their work
  • when reassessed can track a worker's progress before, during or after rehabilitation.
Independent medical examination (IME)

An independent medical examination is an examination requested and arranged by the insurer for the purposes of obtaining a medical report on an injured worker's condition from a medical practitioner who has not previously examined the injured worker for the particular injury.

The type of information sought by the insurer may include:
  • statement of attendance
  • history
  • diagnosis
  • investigations
  • prognosis
  • clarification of treatment
  • return to work goals.
Principles of workplace rehabilitation

That workplace rehabilitation:
  • be industry based
  • be function oriented
  • involve early intervention
  • involve a multidisciplinary team approach
  • involve shared responsibility to ensure success.
Prior approval

Some services require prior approval from insurers before payment. The services requiring prior approval are set out in the relevant supplementary schedule.

When a workers' compensation insurer provides ‘prior approval' for a service, they commit to pay for the costs of the service when it is completed. Conversely, if no prior approval has been provided (for services requiring prior approval) insurers will not provide payment.

Rehabilitation Coordinator

The Rehabilitation Coordinator is the former name given to the role of the Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator.

Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator (RRTWC)

Under the Act employers who had wages for the previous financial year greater than 4.9 million dollars or employ 30 or more workers at a workplace in a high risk industry are required to appoint a Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator.

The employer's Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator is responsible for assisting in the return to work of injured workers and coordinating return to work activities at the workplace.

Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinators have detailed knowledge of the workplace and can help you to establish the duties most suitable for the injured worker.

Other duties of the Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator include:
  • initiating early contact with the injured worker to clarify the nature and severity of the worker's injury and to compile initial notification information
  • providing overall coordination of the worker's return to work
  • developing the suitable duties program in consultation with the worker, the worker's employer and the insurer's case manager
  • ensuring the suitable duties program is consistent with the current medical certificate or report for the worker's injury
  • liaising with any person engaged by the employer to help in the worker's rehabilitation and return to work. This includes the worker's compensation insurer in relation to the worker's progress and indicating as early as possible, if there is a need for the insurer to assist or intervene.
Rehabilitation provider

Rehabilitation providers are registered health professionals or providers otherwise approved by an insurer. Rehabilitation providers provide active support to workers and employers to design and implement rehabilitation and return to work plans. Some examples of rehabilitation providers are occupational physicians, occupational therapists and physiotherapists.

They may be engaged to assist the employer, and or the employer's workplace Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator, to manage more complex or serious injuries or in situations where there is a lack of suitable duties at the workplace.

The appropriate rehabilitation provider may:
  • provide various strategies to increase strength and endurance
  • conduct a functional capacity evaluation of the worker
  • provide advice on the selection of suitable duties
  • conduct a workplace assessment including job and task analysis
  • supervise suitable duties programs
  • provide vocational assessment and vocational rehabilitation services for those injured workers who are unable to return to their pre-injury job.
Return to work

Return to work is a term used to describe the worker's timely, safe and medically structured return to pre-injury duties, or other employment, following workplace injury.

Stable and stationary

A condition is referred to as stable and stationary when the condition is not likely to improve with further medical or surgical treatment. This suggests that the condition has reached maximum medical improvement and that suitable rehabilitation has been carried out.

Suitable duties

The Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (section 42) defines suitable duties as:

    … work duties for which the worker is suited having regard to the following matters
  1. the nature of the worker's incapacity and pre-injury employment;
  2. relevant medical information;
  3. the rehabilitation plan for the worker;
  4. the provisions of the employer’s workplace rehabilitation policy and procedures;
  5. the worker’s age, education, skills and work experience;
  6. if duties are available at a location (the “other location”) other than the location in which the worker was injured - whether it is reasonable to expect the worker to attend the other location;
  7. any other relevant matters.
Suitable duties program

A suitable duties program is a graduated plan of short duration incorporating selected duties that form part of the rehabilitation and return to work plan. The suitable duties program must be approved by the worker's treating medical practitioner.

The treating medical practitioner indicates their approval of a suitable duties program on the Q-COMP medical certificate or documented suitable duties program.

Work capacity

Work capacity is decided by the worker's treating medical practitioner, based upon the worker's medical status and is documented on the medical certificate.

Total incapacity for work means that the worker is unable to work in any capacity (not simply their pre-injury duties) due to the severity of their injury or disease.

Partial work capacity means that the worker is able to participate in some work tasks that are within their functional capacity.

Workers' compensation insurer

In the Queensland scheme an employer may either be self-insured or hold a WorkCover Queensland policy. A self-insured employer is licensed by Q-COMP to take on all liabilities for any work-related injuries and diseases.

Reference to a Workers' compensation insurer refers to WorkCover Queensland or a self insurer. The Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 applies to WorkCover Queensland and self insurers.

Workplace assessment

A workplace assessment is a work site visit, for the purpose of assessing aspects of an injured worker's job or environment. This must be in connection with the planning or implementation of a rehabilitation plan.

The workplace assessment can be initiated by a treating medical practitioner, employer, rehabilitation provider or insurer and must have the prior approval of the insurer to ensure payment to the professional providing this service.

The workplace assessment is usually conducted by an occupational therapist or a physiotherapist who should provide a report detailing the functional requirements of the worker's job.

Workplace rehabilitation

The definition of rehabilitation under the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (section 40) is described as:
    Rehabilitation, of a worker, is a process designed to:
    1. ensure the worker's earliest possible return to work; or
    2. maximise the worker's independent functioning.
    Rehabilitation, includes:
    1. necessary and reasonable:
      1. suitable duties programs; or
      2. services provided by a registered person; or
      3. services approved by an insurer; or
    2. the provision of necessary and reasonable aids or equipment to the worker.
The purpose of workplace rehabilitation under the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 is described as being to ensure the worker's earliest possible return to work or if not possible, to maximise the worker's independent functioning.

Workplace rehabilitation accreditation

Gaining accreditation formalises the process for rehabilitation in the workplace. This requires:
  • a workplace rehabilitation policy and procedures approved by Q-COMP
  • a registered rehabilitation and return to work coordinator in Queensland who is an employee or contracted to provide this service.
Workplace rehabilitation policy and procedures

Under the Act employers who had wages for the previous financial year greater than 4.9 million dollars or employ 30 or more workers at a workplace in a high risk industry are required to have workplace rehabilitation policy and procedures.

Workplace rehabilitation policy and procedures are formal documentation of an employer's systems and processes for rehabilitation in the workplace. Workplace rehabilitation procedures will need to document:
  • the actions to be taken from the time of injury through to a full return to work
  • the roles and responsibilities of the Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator, the injured worker, line managers, supervisors and co-workers.
The workplace rehabilitation policy and procedures documents are submitted to Q-COMP for workplace rehabilitation accreditation. These policies and procedures require review every three years.

Roles in rehabilitation