When a worker is injured in the workplace, some workplaces can fall into the trap of believing a simple return to work program is the only requirement to assist workers back to work.

While an appropriate suitable duties program is a vital cog in the return to work process, there are other ways to maximise return to work outcomes. Understanding the interaction between the actual injury and interpersonal factors of the injured worker can assist in a successful return to work. The question is how do these factors influence each other? That’s when we can look at the biopsychosocial model. The biopsychosocial model considers the individual, their health condition, and their social context. The national insurance system ComCare breaks the approach down further:

Biological

refers to the physical and/or mental health condition.

Psychological

recognises that personal/psychological factors also influence the ability to function with illness or injury.

Social

recognises the importance of the social context, pressures and constraints on the person’s ability to function with illness or injury. (ComCare, Australian Government).

Based on the simple break down above, when considering whether the return to work program will be successful, one should consider some of the following questions (these are just a sample – each injury and workplace is unique).

Biological

What is the injury diagnosis, prognosis and current status? Is the injury acute or chronic? Is the injury short term or long term?

Psychological

What are the workers fears and beliefs about their injury? What does the worker believe the return to work program will have on their injury and their general health? Is worker motivated to return to work?

Social

Is there a presence or absence of support from co-workers and colleagues? Are there meaningful suitable or alternative duties available? Are there external pressures to return to work? What are the return to work and injury management policies and procedures in the workplace?

However, it’s not just the restriction due to injury we need to consider. One of the major limiting factors to injuries can be pain. There are many return to work cases where pain is not always in line with the severity of the injury.

The biopsychosocial model recognises that pain levels are not always consistent with the injury severity. Perception of pain can differ depending on multiple psychosocial factors. With this in mind, try to consider the physical, psychological (including emotional) and social needs of injured workers when commencing a return to work program.

Be sure to identify potential issues to the return to work process – both actual and perceived - prior to them becoming a problem. Early identification allows for a contingency plan to be put in place to prevent any issues from slowing the return to work process.

Why is early intervention important? Research shows if a person is off work for:

Need help with improving your return to work outcomes? Sonic HealthPlus has allied health professionals with return to work experience to assist your workplace.