The best treatment for any injured employee is not the most expensive or least expensive treatment, but rather the treatment that is medically appropriate to the type and severity of the injury.
At many worksites, supervisors and employees must decide what to do for injuries without any medical training or guidance. It is difficult for employers to help – injuries are reported late and inconsistently; the medical and legal systems are complicated; and managing injuries is not their core competency. All too often, the result is employees with minor injuries are sent for unnecessary and expensive off-site care even when first aid would have been medically appropriate. Worse yet, employees with serious conditions sometimes do not get the care they need.
Medcor’s triage service is designed around the medical principle of immediate intervention. The faster medical professionals get involved when an injury occurs, the better the outcome will be for the injured employee and the company. With Medcor’s triage service, medical professionals proactively help employees and companies determine the best course of action for injuries.
This is much more than simply claims reporting or “gate-keeping.” Medcor’s triage brings advanced medical care directly to employees at the time of the incident.
When an injury occurs, the affected employee and the supervisor simply pick up a telephone and call our toll-free number at the moment of the incident. The call comes directly into Medcor’s state-of-the-art clinical call center. The call center is staffed 24/7, so injured employees can have access anytime from anywhere.
Medcor’s call center is staffed by Registered Nurses. These are experienced professionals, specially trained in workplace injury triage. They use clinical algorithms developed by a team of doctors and nurses, experienced in occupational health and emergency medicine. The operation is overseen by a physician who is board certified in emergency and internal medicine.
The triage nurse speaks with the supervisor and the injured employee. If language is a barrier, a translator is put on the line. The nurse gathers information about the incident, injury, symptoms, and the worksite. Using sophisticated software and professional judgment, the nurse assesses the injury and documents the case. The nurse then makes a recommendation for treatment that is medically appropriate for each specific case.
When first aid is appropriate, the nurse provides instructions. When the employee needs to see a doctor, the nurse makes an appropriate referral. The employer’s preferred providers are pre-loaded into Medcor’s system, which is very successful in guiding employees “in network.” In every case, the nurse takes time to answer the employee’s questions and make sure the employee is comfortable with the recommendations.
Once the appropriate medical care is determined, the nurse collects OSHA reporting and client-customized data about the incident. Finally, the nurse closes the call with the supervisor, explaining the treatment and process.
Employees can call back any time their symptoms change or if they have additional questions about their injuries.
After each call, Medcor’s software automatically sends detailed reports, customized for each client. Within minutes, all incidents are reported to safety, HR, claims, and risk management staff as directed by the client. Case managers learn about new claims in time to be proactive, safety mangers are alerted to start investigations, and first reports of injury can be filed in all 50 states. When referrals are made, the doctor is notified in advance to ensure coordination or care and emphasize the client’s return to work policy. Risk managers can access their data enterprise-wide over a secure web site to analyze trends. The entire system is HIPAA compliant to protect patient privacy.
