Returning to work after a disability claim may be therapeutic for the worker. Studies have shown that early return to work is beneficial in that it may improve worker self-esteem and confidence, re-establish the employer-employee relationship, and decrease the cost of the claim. Disability management is a process aimed at limiting a disabling event and returning the patient to work as soon as possible. In some large companies, there are specific disability management programs; however, in many companies, a case manager handles the aims of disability management and the return to work process. Because of the large cost of worker’s compensation (medical bills, sick time, cost of replacing workers, loss of productivity), many companies have a high need for case managers or their own disability management programs.It is important to recognize the difference between an impairment and a disability. An impairment is a complete loss of a body part, function or system. A disability is the difference between the requirements of a job and the worker’s physical capacity and only relates to the patient’s status at work. An individual with an impairment may not be disabled at all from his or her particular vocation, and a minor impairment may result in a big disability for an individual with a particular type of vocation. After each physician visit, an injured worker must obtain the physician’s description of what he is physically capable of (documentation of work capacity).
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