Today’s issue of WorkCompRecap features the release of a new study from WCRI that examined the factors associated with extended use of physical medicine (PM) services.
The study found that extended physical medicine use, defined as services initiated within six weeks of injury and continuing after three months, was relatively frequent in most study states, and that less coordination of care was among the key factors associated with a higher likelihood of having extended PM use. The study examined how prevalent extended use of PM services is and how it varies across states; how extended PM use associates with overall costs and duration of temporary disability; and factors that help predict the likelihood of extended PM use, focusing on the factors that can be used for better management of claims and care.