One of the main goals of a responsible employer is to provide a safe work environment for employees. That being said, it is also crucial for organizations to prepare for any workplace risks, accidents, and injures that may occur. When companies have a strategy that deals with workplace injuries, it can make a world of difference in delivering the employee and employer’s best outcomes.
The problem is, when work-related injuries occur, managers don’t usually have the medical training to assess the injury, let alone decide on the appropriate treatment for the injured worker. Moreover, it becomes a bigger problem when the injured employee gets treatment from an out-of-network provider, which usually leads to increased costs for both the employer and employee.
An effective injury triage program addresses the challenges of managing work-related injuries. This article will discuss what an injury triage program is, its purpose, and how to implement it effectively by partnering with a workers compensation solutionsprovider.
What Is Injury Triage, And Why Is It Important?
The concept of triage was first developed for wartime situations wherein a medical staff – a nurse or a doctor will quickly evaluate the soldier’s needs based on the injury and then prioritize the patient for treatment or transport according to the severity of the injury.
Applied in the context of workers’ compensation, injury triage has the same purpose – to ensure that the employee who sustains an injury while at work receives immediate and proper medical care and treatment and that the incident is reported correctly. A successful triage program is often done via telephone, a smartphone, or an online platform. Here are some tips for implementing it effectively:
Partner With A Qualified Provider
Utilizing the services of a workers’ compensation provider network is a crucial step in implementing an effective injury triage program. For one, a qualified provider employs medical professionals who follow evidence-based medicine protocols and have strong medical backgrounds.
Moreover, a workers compensation solutions company can provide the best nationwide medical network that employers and other stakeholders can rely on to give immediate medical care after an incident and manage medical costs. Establishing a vast healthcare facility network ensures that injured employees have easy access to medical care wherever they are assigned to work.
Have Your Staff Familiarize The Triage Call Process
1. Make The Call
Always call 911 first for any life-threatening situations like choking, severe bleeding, difficulty breathing, and so on. But if the work injury does not require immediate medical care, the injured employee can opt to speak to an on-call health care professional. Ideally, both the injured employee and the supervisor should be placing the call together. Still, if the immediate supervisor is unavailable, the injured employee can make the call as soon as after the injury has occurred.
2. Review History Of Injury
The nurse will collect information to identify the employee correctly and to fulfill reporting requirements. The required information includes details such as the company name and worksite, the injured employee’s name, and other details, and information regarding the injury – time, date, and location, and description. Failure to collect this information correctly can sometimes lead to the claims being denied, so it is crucial to give the correct information to the nurse.
3. Receive Injury Assessment And Recommendation From The Triage Nurse
Once the triage nurse answers the call, he or she will immediately determine the severity and nature of the injury based on specially designed protocols. The nurse will then recommend the best way to deal with the injury, whether it’s first aid or further evaluation and treatment at an off-site in-network healthcare facility.
Conclusion
An effective injury triage program provides immediate injury response and gives the injured employee the peace of mind that someone cares about them. Moreover, the program can result in better injury investigation and reduce workers’ compensation costs.
By working with a workers compensation provider network, organizations can determine the best course of action following a workplace injury or illness and ensure the best outcome for all parties involved.
