January 18, 2007

TEXAS ADOPTS ODG TREATMENT  

Click here for special TX Pricing.  Click here for an instructional on implementation of ODG Treatment in Texas.

Austin, TX – Texas’ workers’ compensation regulatory agency, the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) Division of Workers’ Comp (DWC), has chosen Work Loss Data Institute’s Official Disability Guidelines – Treatment in Workers Comp (ODG Treatment) as the standard for non-network medical care administered for workers’ compensation claims statewide. Before announcing the adoption, TDI conducted an extensive evaluation, reviewing all the different guidelines available to improve outcomes in workers’ comp. Commissioner of Workers’ Compensation Albert Betts signed the Texas rule on December 29, 2006 and the rule is applicable for health care provided on or after May 1, 2007.

Adopting ODG Treatment will enable the Texas Department of Insurance to ensure the latest available medical evidence is used judiciously in making treatment decisions to improve outcomes for workers injured on the job in Texas. In addition, workers’ comp expenditures will remain focused on the goal of recovery and the best utilization of the available medical services.

To encourage its widespread use, TDI has also negotiated a substantial discount on ODG Treatment for all healthcare providers operating in the state’s work comp system. Due to the importance of ongoing updates, online use is encouraged, with a discount of 50% to online subscribers. The annual three-volume textbook set is available to Texas subscribers for 25% off the regular price. To receive the discount, Texas subscribers should reference Texas when placing an order.

Texas is the latest of several US States and Canadian Provinces to adopt ODG Treatment, as the movement towards evidence-based medicine in workers’ comp gains ground. Most unique about the ODG approach is that links are provided from each recommendation to summaries of the supporting medical evidence, so it can be consulted and quoted directly. In addition, ODG partakes in a rigorous and continual update process to add new features and keep on top of the latest studies.  Finally, ODG is comprehensive and multidisciplinary in scope, covering conditions both acute and chronic, including virtually every therapy commonly used in workers’ comp, and representative of each of the various medical specialties active in the system.

According to Phil Denniston, president of Work Loss Data Institute, "Among the states that have decided to adopt workers’ comp guidelines statewide, Texas has undergone one of the most rigorous and thorough reviews of the guidelines available. For that reason, we are particularly proud to be officially adopted by the state of Texas and TDI. 

WLDI looks forward to being part of the major workers’ compensation overhaul in Texas, and we especially look forward to seeing improvements in the system as a result of ODG Treatment use. The move should benefit injured workers in Texas most, as the primary objective of ODG is improved patient outcomes through the restoration of function."

“These rules provide a framework to improve communications among injured employees, health care providers, employers, insurance carriers, and the Division,” Texas Commissioner of Workers’ Compensation Albert Betts said. “Disability management is a process designed to optimize health care and return-to-work for injured employees in order to avoid unnecessarily delayed recovery.”

The American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians (AADEP) has also taken on a supporting role in the application of ODG, and has already begun to provide training courses in Texas. Each course, offering CME credit, provides an introduction to evidenced-based medicine, an overview of ODG Treatment and a "walk thru" with several case studies, to show how ODG can be utilized for scientific and medical based resolution. The instructors are all board certified medically trained physicians, and they have extensive training in occupational medicine, family medicine, and other primary care specialties, as well as extensive experience in musculoskeletal disorders, and they are all in the active practice of medicine. AADEP has no financial interest in ODG or Work Loss Data Institute.

Evidence-based, independent and easy to use, the complete ODG Treatment in Workers’ Comp is available for $325 (regular price – reference TX for discount) on the Web or in textbook format, with multi-user discounts available. Raw data files for integration with internal software applications or for computer-automated benchmarking are also available. Contact WLDI regarding licensing fees.

For more information, go to www.worklossdata.com or contact Work Loss Data Institute (WLDI), publisher of the ODG product line. WLDI is an independent database development company focused on workplace health and productivity, based in Encinitas, CA.