Insurers’ perspective on barriers and facilitators for return to work after occupational injuries

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Despite the importance of the legislative and insurance systems in the return to work process after an occupational injury, the perspective of the insurer on what influences return to work has rarely been documented.

OBJECTIVE:

To understand the barriers or facilitators for return to work, from the perspective of the insurer.

METHODS:

A comprehensive qualitative approach was used. Semi-directed interviews were done with nineteen (19) insurers (claims adjudicator and rehabilitation case manager) from a Canadian workers’ compensation board. A thematic analysis was done using QDA Minor Software.

RESULTS:

Fourteen themes (e.g. family reaction, quality of work relationship) were classified into four categories representing the main stakeholders: worker with disability, workplace, healthcare system and compensation system. Emotional, cognitive, and adaptive reactions from the worker and his family were identified. We observed that good work relations and support practices, lack of access to medical resources, focus on the employee’s ability, and complexity and consequences of the compensation process are the main barriers and facilitators from the insurers’ perspective. Many of the perceived elements are coherent with the compensation system’s administrative and legal context.

CONCLUSIONS:

The results enable us to better understand the insurers’ perspective regarding what influences return to work. It reinforces the necessity to consider the administrative and legal context to better understand the insurers’ perspective.