WCRI – Blogging Live
Comparing Workers Comp outcomes across states WCRI blogging live.
Subject to Further Research
One of my favorite WCRI studies – hard work on this one
Dr. Savych and Dr. Thumula (WCRI) – presenters

These two presenters presented the initial study data last year- 2015. It was groundbreaking as no one or company actually telephone-interviewed 6,000 injured workers – amazing study
Four Key Outcome Measures
The four areas examined were:
15 State Median = 14% for no substantial return to work – workers did not return to work or did not stay at work for 30 days.
Indiana had lowest rate of no return to work- 9%
Georgia had highest – 19%
To be able to perform cross – state comparisons data was normalized due to differences in state laws, industries, 400 interviews in 15 states = 6,000 kept n (number of interviewees same).
The comparison were all for injured employees with more than 7 days out of work.
Used SF-12(r) measurement instrument
Average injury severity was similar across the 15 states studied
Reported Big Problems with Medical care = 17% – 15 state median
Two common reasons of medical care dissatisfaction were:
- Employer did not want to provide the care
- Diagnosis dissatisfaction
14% – 15 State Median – for big problems with getting desired provider
- 36% of those were discouraged by employer to use this medical provider
Wisconsin has lowest rate of dissatisfaction with medical care = 9%
Florida has highest rate of dissatisfaction with medical care = 20%
Aging was considered as a control factor.
One future consideration is the states that allow employer or employee medical control.
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