Top ten tips for dealing with the Doc
Gabrielle Lis and Dr Mary Wyatt
Is "bad medicine" delaying RTW at your organisation? Our latest top ten will help sweeten your relationship with medical practitioners...-
Demonstrate concern about injured employees. Doctors care about their patients and are likely to see themselves as allies of injured employees.
This can be a great thing because you want your employee to receive appropriate treatment and support – but if the doctor picks up on an adversarial employee / employer (e.g. supervisor) relationship, chances are they’ll pick a side, and it won’t be yours.
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Make it easy for the doctor to support return to work. Identify duties that are likely to be suitable for the employee, write a return to work plan that includes a brief but clear description of the job, and ask the doctor for their input.
It’s much easier to agree to something sensible than for the doctor to have to start from scratch.
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Keep the worker focused on return to work. The best way to influence doctors is through the hearts and minds of their patients!
Follow the lead of the drug companies in America (the best marketers around) – they seek to influence the patient, knowing the doctor will generally support the patient’s wishes. If the employee wants to be back at work your chances of getting the doctor onside go up astronomically.
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Have a relationship with a local clinic. Arranging timely medical care can be difficult, so it pays to have established trust and respect with the receptionist / practice manager. That way, when you ask for an urgent appointment, they’ll know that you need just that: and you know that they’ll make every effort to meet your needs.
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Communicate early. This is especially important if your employee has chosen to see a doctor you’re not familiar with.
If the doctor knows how you work and what you’re willing to do for their patient, they’re more likely to collaborate for return to work. Even before they’ve seen the employee you can get in contact with them via email or fax, or give the employee an introductory letter to take along to their first appointment.
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Communicate well. Support the doctor by clarity in your communication and make every effort to provide key information about the person's capacity for work. Be positive and helpful in your approach.
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Build relationships with doctors. You can’t dictate who injured workers go to for treatment, but many employees will be happy to attend, for example, the industrial or occupational clinic recommended by their employer.
Since you’ve already buttered-up the receptionist, they’ll be able to tell you about how best to communicate with the relevant doctor. This can make a real difference.
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Don’t assume that, because doctors know a lot, they know a lot about your work environment. For once, they’re not the experts: you and your workers are. Go the extra mile to provide doctors with the information they need to make decisions about work restrictions and modified duties.
Think task descriptions, diagrams, even DVDs of machinery in operation. They’ll appreciate the effort.
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Invite treating doctors out to inspect your worksite and reimburse them for their time. There’s no substitute for seeing with your own eyes, and doctors will gain a better understanding of the physical demands of a job if they see workers in action.
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Pay appropriately. Did you know that doctors are paid less for managing work injuries, even though work cases are often very complex?
When you pay doctors well (including for phone conversations) you free them up to give your worker the kind of attention most likely to promote a good outcome.