A model of care for managing traumatic psychological injury in a workers' compensation context

Abstract

Work-related traumatic psychological injuries are a significant health problem that can result in distress and disability. To improve outcomes following a workplace trauma, the Workers' Compensation Board of Alberta (WCB-AB) has developed and implemented an evidence-based care model (CM) to assist its staff to manage these claims. A CM acts as a disability management "road map" that illustrates typical recovery patterns, treatment best practices, and checkpoints where decisions for further service provision can be made. The model was developed from a recent literature review, and the opinions of local and international experts in the field of traumatic psychological injury. A formal evaluation of the effectiveness of this model is being planned.