January 20, 2009 - Encinitas, CA – Independent database development company Work Loss Data Institute (WLDI) has added a chapter covering pulmonary illnesses and injuries to its nationally recognized treatment guidelines, ODG Treatment in Workers’ Comp. This is the first pulmonary treatment guideline of its kind for workers’ comp.

The new chapter covers the treatment of common occupational and non-occupational conditions of the lungs, including extensive information for asthma, cough, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and interstitial lung disease.

“As a disability evaluating pulmonologist, I can say with experience that an evidence based treatment guideline covering pulmonary issues is a much needed resource for workers’ comp and beyond,” said Stephen L. Demeter, MD, MPH of Disability Evaluations in Honolulu, ODG Board Member and Chapter Lead for the Pulmonary Chapter. “The clear, evidence-based recommendations in ODG are sure to become an invaluable tool for any healthcare professional who administers or evaluates pulmonary care.”

As with all treatment guidelines in ODG Treatment, the pulmonary chapter is divided into three distinct sections, including Treatment Planning, Codes for Automated Approval, and Procedure Summary. In the Procedure Summary section each procedure or medication that would be considered for an injury or disease of the pulmonary system is defined clearly as “Recommended,” “Not Recommended,” or “Under Study,” followed by brief, evidence-based summaries of the circumstances and basis to support those conclusions.  Supporting references are provided by way of hyperlink, where they are ranked, highlighted and indexed.  .

Pulmonary is the 17^th chapter in ODG Treatment that provides evidence-based procedure summaries and treatment pathways based on the most current and high quality clinical trials and meta-analyses. As with all updates to ODG Treatment, the new chapter is available for immediate use for paid subscribers of ODG Treatment online. For hard copy subscribers, the pulmonary chapter will be available in the 7^th edition of ODG Treatment at the end of this month.

Relied on by providers, employers, insurance claims professionals and state workers’ comp authorities, ODG Treatment is the only reference to unite evidence-based protocols for medical treatment with normative expectations for disability duration for every illness and injury, organized by ICD9 diagnosis. Without any specific affiliation, WLDI is unique in being able to bridge the interests of the many professional groups involved in diagnosing and treating a particular condition by providing widely accepted, nationally recognized guidelines for managing workers’ compensation and non-occupational disability.

ODG Treatment in Workers’ Comp is updated constantly based on a comprehensive and ongoing medical literature review as well as the annual peer-review process by the Editorial Advisory Board. Given the regular release of groundbreaking new studies on appropriate treatment published in peer-reviewed medical journals like the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and hundreds more worldwide, regular updates are crucial. 

ODG Treatment has been accepted by the Federal Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ) for inclusion in the National Guideline Clearinghouse (www.guidelines.gov).

ODG Treatment is available for $325 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.

Work Loss Data Institute is an independent database development company focused on workplace health and productivity based in Encinitas, California.  The Official Disability Guidelines product line provides evidence-based medical treatment and disability duration guidelines to improve as well as benchmark outcomes in workers’ comp and non-occupational disability.  ODG is available in Web-based, textbook and Systems Integration formats, used in all 50 states and worldwide.  For more information, visit www.worklossdata.com or contact Work Loss Data Institute at 800-488-5548.

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