Back Pain Dilema
Back pain is a big problem in the workplace. It causes a great deal of work absenteeism and reduction in productivity. On the other hand if you are the one with the back pain the last thing you want is to be at work.
GP's have the job of deciding whether to give someone a 'sick note' or not. They are in the middle. Statistics show that keeping active is one the best forms of advice for back pain and GPs are encouraged by government guidelines to get people to keep their bodies moving and go back to work. On the other hand they are under pressure to comply with a patients demands for authorised time off work.
Recent research by Arthritis Research Campaign shows that GP's feel under pressure from both sides and that they feel that negotiating between the two camps requires 'effective negotiation of mutual perceptions and expectations.'
The workplace has responsibility to provide an environment which minimises the risk of health problems including back pain. One of the recommendations made by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is for companies to give their employees access to private health insurance with the idea that they have access to early help and advice which in turn will reduce absenteeism and speed up recovery. Often by the time people go to their GP the back problems they have are chronic. The aim is to get to people before this happens.
Medical health insurance provider Aviva have recently launched a product, Back-Up which aims to help people deal with their back and neck problems with the veiw that they can return back to work as quickly and safely as possible.
According to the statistics Back-up has seen a 37.5% reduction in the number of physiotherapy sessions needed by people and 50% of employees said that the scheme 'prevented them going absent or restricted their duties.'
Clinical development manager for Aviva's UK Health business, Mark Sharpe said:
'Musculoskeletal conditions are one of the top causes of private health insurance claims, yet they have traditionally been treated with a broad brush '6-10 sessions of physiotherapy' approach which gives little consideration to the customer's exact circumstances. Our Back-Up service bucks this trend.
'Evidence now shows that tailoring treatment plans to the individual's personal needs, has a far better out-come for all parties - the individual recovers quicker, employers benefit from reduced sickness absence costs and our medical insurance claims costs, and therefore future premium increases, are controlled.
We are extremely proud of our Back-Up service which has already delivered numerous benefits for our customers. The feedback we've received is absolutely fantastic and we're delighted more of our customers can now benefit from this highly valued service.'
Back-up has meant that Aviva have won the Employer Rehabilitation Initiative of the Year category at the 2009 Rehabilitation First Awards.
GP's have the job of deciding whether to give someone a 'sick note' or not. They are in the middle. Statistics show that keeping active is one the best forms of advice for back pain and GPs are encouraged by government guidelines to get people to keep their bodies moving and go back to work. On the other hand they are under pressure to comply with a patients demands for authorised time off work.
Recent research by Arthritis Research Campaign shows that GP's feel under pressure from both sides and that they feel that negotiating between the two camps requires 'effective negotiation of mutual perceptions and expectations.'
The workplace has responsibility to provide an environment which minimises the risk of health problems including back pain. One of the recommendations made by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is for companies to give their employees access to private health insurance with the idea that they have access to early help and advice which in turn will reduce absenteeism and speed up recovery. Often by the time people go to their GP the back problems they have are chronic. The aim is to get to people before this happens.
Medical health insurance provider Aviva have recently launched a product, Back-Up which aims to help people deal with their back and neck problems with the veiw that they can return back to work as quickly and safely as possible.
According to the statistics Back-up has seen a 37.5% reduction in the number of physiotherapy sessions needed by people and 50% of employees said that the scheme 'prevented them going absent or restricted their duties.'
Clinical development manager for Aviva's UK Health business, Mark Sharpe said:
'Musculoskeletal conditions are one of the top causes of private health insurance claims, yet they have traditionally been treated with a broad brush '6-10 sessions of physiotherapy' approach which gives little consideration to the customer's exact circumstances. Our Back-Up service bucks this trend.
'Evidence now shows that tailoring treatment plans to the individual's personal needs, has a far better out-come for all parties - the individual recovers quicker, employers benefit from reduced sickness absence costs and our medical insurance claims costs, and therefore future premium increases, are controlled.
We are extremely proud of our Back-Up service which has already delivered numerous benefits for our customers. The feedback we've received is absolutely fantastic and we're delighted more of our customers can now benefit from this highly valued service.'
Back-up has meant that Aviva have won the Employer Rehabilitation Initiative of the Year category at the 2009 Rehabilitation First Awards.
posted by Insurance News at
4:51 AM
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