© Grosvenor Health LtdRCN OH Managers Forum 5 December 2006

Remote Case Management

By

Anne Kennaugh

© Grosvenor Health LtdRCN OH Managers Forum 5 December 2006

What is Remote Case Management?

Our definition:

Occupational health advice for an individual that can be given on the basis of a telephone consultation along with other medical reports as required. The OHA is unlikely to be based within the employer’s premises or to have face to face contact with the employee concerned.

© Grosvenor Health LtdRCN OH Managers Forum 5 December 2006

Remote Case Management

• Provides national coverage

• No requirement to have an OHA on site

• Cost effective for clients

• Time effective for OH

• Easy access for employee and employer

• Central point of contact with good knowledge of client

© Grosvenor Health LtdRCN OH Managers Forum 5 December 2006

Key Elements

• Referral

• Initial Contact

• Case Plan

• Review

• Closure

© Grosvenor Health LtdRCN OH Managers Forum 5 December 2006

Referral from manager

• Employee details

• Reason for referral

• Employee notified

• Employee job activities

• Employee contact while absent

• Existing adjustments

• What do they want to know?

© Grosvenor Health LtdRCN OH Managers Forum 5 December 2006

Initial Contact

• Preparation

• Refer to telephone consultation checklists

• Establish role of OH, reason for referral and confidentiality

• Take medical history

• Record current treatments

• Agree any actions and date of next contact

© Grosvenor Health LtdRCN OH Managers Forum 5 December 2006

Case Plan

• Considerations– Medical report– OH examination / consultation– Intervention treatments– Other healthcare providers i.e. PMI, EAP– Workplace assessment– Workplace adjustments

• Discuss/negotiate any possible adjustments with HR or line manager

• Agree timeframes if appropriate• Send first report to management

© Grosvenor Health LtdRCN OH Managers Forum 5 December 2006

Review

• Regular reviews, how frequently depends on need of individual case

• Preparation, review – GP/OH reports

– Treatments

– Past notes

• Re-establish with employee current functional capacity• Discuss reasonable adjustments• Look for return to work opportunities• Agree actions and date for next contact• Send updated OH report to management

© Grosvenor Health LtdRCN OH Managers Forum 5 December 2006

Closure

• Challenging!

• Agree rehabilitation plan with employee and manager

• Close case– or if necessary

• Allow one review half way through rehabilitation plan.

© Grosvenor Health LtdRCN OH Managers Forum 5 December 2006

Potential difficulties

• Functional assessment

• Stress related symptoms

• Extended absence

• Disciplinary process

© Grosvenor Health LtdRCN OH Managers Forum 5 December 2006

Overcoming Potential Difficulties

• Use of Occupational Physician for functional assessment• Appropriate questioning within the telephone consultation• Timely, targeted reports from GP/Specialists• Always keep OH remit in mind do not get involved in areas

beyond this.

© Grosvenor Health LtdRCN OH Managers Forum 5 December 2006

Other considerations

• If central point of contact, OH are able to liaise with other providers

• Good opportunity to provide overview of service

• Centralised OH team, so better able to work effectively

• Better use of resources

© Grosvenor Health LtdRCN OH Managers Forum 5 December 2006

Working Partnership with Client

• Clients require regular and efficient responses

• Must show good understanding of client and their work

• Consistent OHA team preferred

• OHA team must use opportunities to meet client

• Remote does not mean faceless

© Grosvenor Health LtdRCN OH Managers Forum 5 December 2006

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