Corpus Christi, TX

Employer Health Register

June 26, 2006

PATIENT INFORMATION RESOURCES APPENDIX ADDED TO ODG

Work Loss Data Institute announces a new appendix to Official Disability Guidelines Treatment in Workers’ Comp called, “Patient Information Resources.”  This enhancement to ODG contains prescreened links to credible patient-friendly treatment resources available on the Web. Patient Information is provided for all workers’ comp conditions including those pertaining to Ankle & Foot, Burns, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Elbow, Eye, Forearm, Wrist, & Hand, Head, Hernia, Hip & Pelvis, Knee & Leg, Low Back, Neck & Upper Back, Pain, Shoulder and Stress/Mental.

The links are followed by a short description or excerpt from each of the website’s contents so, without having to filter through hundreds of online and hardcopy resources, healthcare providers can quickly provide their patient with a personal aid to recovery by printing the list of selected links or clicking on the links and printing the most relevant pages within the selected websites. ODG’s Patient Information Resources section efficiently connects the patient and provider to pertinent information such as a basic understanding of the injury, self-help methods for speeding recovery and suggested therapies for regaining functionality and productivity.

The Patient Information Resource appendix is designed to provide patient education and self care techniques to improve outcomes. ODG Senior Medical Editor, Dr. Charles W. Kennedy, initiated the idea behind ODG’s newest section. According to Dr. Kennedy, “Blending the principals of holistic medicine which recognize and encourage an individual’s responsibility for his own well-being with the latest evidence-based treatment protocols creates an ideal environment for maximum healing and preventive care.”

Future plans to expand the Patient Information Resources appendix in coming months include adding ODG’s disability duration guidelines for common conditions. It is part of WLDI’s philosophy that the educated patient, who is made aware of the best practices for treatment and disability duration through effective communication with his or her provider, will be more likely to return to work sooner and in better health.

The ODG database provides evidence-based duration data, treatment protocols, workers’ comp costs, and benchmarking data to satisfy the information needs of those involved in return-to-work: providers, insurers, employers, case managers, claims managers, and adjusters. Now, with the addition of patient education information, ODG provides an additional catalyst for communication and active participation by the most important participant in the RTW process – the injured worker.  

Phil Denniston, Editor-in-Chief of Official Disability Guidelines, is pleased that today’s Web technology, together with WLDI’s editorial commitment, enables the treating physician to conveniently empower their patients with relevant and targeted recovery information from some of the finest resources available. Patient education links referenced include the National Library of Medicine, the American Association of Family Physicians, the Mayo Clinic and the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and others. 

The new appendix, entitled “Appendix B, Patient Information Resources,” is available immediately to online subscribers of ODG Treatment in Workers’ Comp and will also be included in the 2007 edition of the hard-copy book.

Evidence-based, independent and easy to use, the complete ODG Treatment in Workers’ Comp is available for $325 on the Web or in textbook format, with multi-user discounts available.  The Official Disability Guidelines (without the treatment guidelines) is available alone at the cost of $195.  Raw data files for integration with internal software applications or for computer-automated benchmarking are also available.  Contact WLDI regarding licensing fees.