by Health Fairs Management on August 30, 2010
Evidence-based medicine has become a big buzzword in healthcare over the last few years. But certain non-traditional treatments, like chiropractic care, may also prove effective in certain cases.
The key – Using these treatments also to – not instead of – conventional medicine may prove more cost-efficient in the long term.
What the latest research says
Do these five common complimentary treatments belong on your health plan? Here’s what recent research suggests –
1) Chiropractic care. Studies suggest these treatments might help cut absenteeism for workers with uncomplicated lower back pain, namely for individuals who’ve had it for less than a month.
2) Acupuncture. Research shows acupuncture can help relieve osteoarthritis, chronic migraines, post-operative pain, low-back pain, fibromyalgia and carpal tunnel syndrome. There’s less evidence about its effectiveness as a tandem treatment for other conditions.
3) Acupressure. There’s no significant research to show this needle-free variation of acupuncture (a therapist applies pressure to specific points on the body) has the same medical benefits.
4) Biofeedback. According to the Mayo Clinic, there’s now some research to suggest this treatment can help with some types of chronic pain, particularly tension headaches and muscle pain.
How it works – Monitors display a patient’s heart rate, breathing patterns, body temperature and muscle activity. A therapist then teaches the patient how to lower these readings via relaxation.
5) Aromatherapy. as yet, there’s no evidence of direct medical benefits. While it could be a relaxing treatment to reduce stress, few firms – if any – foot the bill on employees’ behalf.
by Health Fairs Management on August 29, 2010
When an employee ignores directions from a doctor, who’s responsible when the employee causes a serious accident on the job?
In some cases, it’s your firm that ends up on the hook – both for workers’ comp and for other people ’s injuries caused by misuse of a prescription drug.
Situations like these raise three questions that even HR/benefits pros have trouble answering. How are you – or supervisors – supposed to know what meds people are on and whether they’re taking them as directed by their physicians?
In most cases, you won’t.
Are you able to find out without violating health insurance portability and accountability act (HIPAA) or other laws?
You can’t, unless the employee volunteers the info or a physician notes the effects of medication being the reason for the accident.
So when you won’t know and can’t find out, how on earth can your firm be held responsible after the fact?
It all depends on the circumstances. Three key danger signs –
• A supervisor already has knowledge of an employee’s medical condition, if not the meds themselves. Example – the staff member requested a schedule change and said it was due to a particular medical problem
• the individuals has a history of erratic behavior that management suspects is medication-related, and/or
• the employee’s job involves potentially dangerous situations.
Spotting possible danger
A Florida case (Johnson v. Rentway) is a classic example of the two of the three large danger signs.
1. the supervisor knew an employee had insulin-dependent diabetes.
2. the worker was under physician’s orders to take insulin at specific times, which required the company to adjust the employee’s schedule.
But due to short staffing, the staff member was often forced to work shifts that overlapped with times he was supposed to take injections.
What’s more, the worker worked a potentially hazardous job (he was a professional truck driver).
In conclusion, the inevitable happpened. the employee suffered a diabetic blackout at the wheel, causing a serious crash that injured himself and another driver.
The employee filed for workers’ comp, and the injured driver sued the corporation. the firm fought – and lost- both cases. Total cost – $5 million.
