Free service aids return to work

Returning to work after injury could become a less arduous process with the launch of an online resource containing up-to-date advice and research on return to work issues.

The Return To Work Knowledge Base is a world leading online service endorsed by the Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. It aims to inform employees, employers, practitioners and insurers on the best worldwide research on return to work topics.

Access is free and the research evidence is translated into plain English.

“The emotional, social and financial cost of workplace injury and illness to Australian workers and their families is unacceptable. That is why the individual is at the heart of our initiative and is the driving force behind our work,” said Dr Mary Wyatt, chair of the Knowledge Base Project.

“Work injuries also have a financial cost on employers as well as the community and we want to see this improved.”

Research shows that returning to work as quickly as possible after an injury or illness results in the best health outcome for workers.

The knowledge base includes quality research from a range of countries about various topics, such as: what happens to the health of people if they stay off work; how supervisors can help people; what is the best medical treatment to help people return to function; and what an insurer's role is in creating the best outcomes.

“The knowledge base contains over one hundred articles covering medical factors, the consequences of being out of work, workplace management models, attitudinal factors and return to work approaches,” said Robert Hughes, the project manager.

“It publishes the best available research on the subject in an easy-to-read format. It provides practical tools and resources to achieve positive outcomes.”

The Return to Work Knowledge Base www.rtwknowledge.org will be launched tomorrow, Tuesday 11 March.