PAIN EDUCATION SERVICE (commencing November 2019)
The Occupational Pain Medicine pain education service is available to WorkSafe agent-insured workers (i.e. workers insured by Allianz, Xchanging, CGU, Gallagher Bassett or EML) and to TAC clients. Availability of the program to workers insured by Comcare or WorkSafe self-insurers is by special arrangement with Dr Miller.
The Occupational Pain Medicine pain education service delivers the HOPE program, developed by Dr Miller. HOPE stands for Helpful Occupational Pain Education and the program consists of a series of up to 8 consultations with Dr Miller. These consultations run for 50 minutes each, providing the time required to deliver effective occupational pain education.
The HOPE program is based on the Occupational Pain Medicine model of care, also developed by Dr Miller, a detailed description of which can be found in Miller (2019). This model also draws from from the in-depth analyses presented by Beales et al (2016) of the helpful and unhelpful models and concepts currently utilised in managing injured workers/clients within compensation environments. This is why the HOPE program is termed 'Helpful': it focuses on helpful, as opposed to unhelpful, models and concepts in managing compensation scheme workers/clients.
Further, the HOPE program is an 'Occupational' pain education program because the Occupational Pain Medicine model of care on which it is based has a strong focus on forging pathways for, and overcoming barriers to, safe and sustainable return to work.
The pain education provided by the HOPE program utilises the concepts and educational resources developed by the NOI group's Explain Pain program, including a focus on contemporary principles from Pain Neuroscience, and combines these with concepts from Occupational Medicine, including a focus on the health benefits of good work.
The HOPE program's content includes:
- Detailed assessment of an individual's case from a biopsychosocial perspective
- Identification of potential barriers to pain literacy and return to work that can be addressed during the program
- Education in principles of contemporary Pain Neuroscience, utilising the Explain Pain resources
- Education in the health benefits of good work
- Education in attending to mood, thinking patterns, mindfulness and sleep hygiene
- Education in navigating the complexities of compensation schemes
- Recommendations to treating practitioners to consider additional helpful management strategies and potential referrals
The HOPE program's content does not include:
- Any other or ongoing medical management of workers/clients
- Any certification or opinion regarding work capacity of workers/clients
- Any prescription of medications, referral for investigations or provision of referrals to other providers
The HOPE program can be provided as an early intervention strategy (i.e. from 3 months post-injury) when there are signs that injury recovery and return to work is not progressing adequately. It can also be provided at later stages in the course of injury if the referring provider or insurer believes the worker/client could benefit from occupational pain education.
A report is able to be provided to the insurer upon request and for an appropriate fee (WorkSafe item number AGT003; TAC item number TTR330). This report will detail the worker's/client's progress through the HOPE program, as well as any barriers to achieving pain literacy and return to work that may have been identified. However, the report cannot answer specific questions from insurers and does not provide any opinion on work capacity.
WorkSafe agents and TAC are billed directly for costs of the HOPE program, with no upfront payment required from workers/clients.
The Occupational Pain Medicine pain education service is available to WorkSafe agent-insured workers (i.e. workers insured by Allianz, Xchanging, CGU, Gallagher Bassett or EML) and to TAC clients. Availability of the program to workers insured by Comcare or WorkSafe self-insurers is by special arrangement with Dr Miller.
The Occupational Pain Medicine pain education service delivers the HOPE program, developed by Dr Miller. HOPE stands for Helpful Occupational Pain Education and the program consists of a series of up to 8 consultations with Dr Miller. These consultations run for 50 minutes each, providing the time required to deliver effective occupational pain education.
The HOPE program is based on the Occupational Pain Medicine model of care, also developed by Dr Miller, a detailed description of which can be found in Miller (2019). This model also draws from from the in-depth analyses presented by Beales et al (2016) of the helpful and unhelpful models and concepts currently utilised in managing injured workers/clients within compensation environments. This is why the HOPE program is termed 'Helpful': it focuses on helpful, as opposed to unhelpful, models and concepts in managing compensation scheme workers/clients.
Further, the HOPE program is an 'Occupational' pain education program because the Occupational Pain Medicine model of care on which it is based has a strong focus on forging pathways for, and overcoming barriers to, safe and sustainable return to work.
The pain education provided by the HOPE program utilises the concepts and educational resources developed by the NOI group's Explain Pain program, including a focus on contemporary principles from Pain Neuroscience, and combines these with concepts from Occupational Medicine, including a focus on the health benefits of good work.
The HOPE program's content includes:
- Detailed assessment of an individual's case from a biopsychosocial perspective
- Identification of potential barriers to pain literacy and return to work that can be addressed during the program
- Education in principles of contemporary Pain Neuroscience, utilising the Explain Pain resources
- Education in the health benefits of good work
- Education in attending to mood, thinking patterns, mindfulness and sleep hygiene
- Education in navigating the complexities of compensation schemes
- Recommendations to treating practitioners to consider additional helpful management strategies and potential referrals
The HOPE program's content does not include:
- Any other or ongoing medical management of workers/clients
- Any certification or opinion regarding work capacity of workers/clients
- Any prescription of medications, referral for investigations or provision of referrals to other providers
The HOPE program can be provided as an early intervention strategy (i.e. from 3 months post-injury) when there are signs that injury recovery and return to work is not progressing adequately. It can also be provided at later stages in the course of injury if the referring provider or insurer believes the worker/client could benefit from occupational pain education.
A report is able to be provided to the insurer upon request and for an appropriate fee (WorkSafe item number AGT003; TAC item number TTR330). This report will detail the worker's/client's progress through the HOPE program, as well as any barriers to achieving pain literacy and return to work that may have been identified. However, the report cannot answer specific questions from insurers and does not provide any opinion on work capacity.
WorkSafe agents and TAC are billed directly for costs of the HOPE program, with no upfront payment required from workers/clients.