Brief biopsychosocially informed education can improve insurance workers’ back pain beliefs: Implications for improving claims management behaviours

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Biopsychosocially informed education is associated with improved back pain beliefs and positive changes in health care practitioners’ practice behaviours.OBJECTIVE: Assess the effect of this type of education for insurance workers who are important non-clinical stakeholders in the rehabilitation of injured workers.METHODS: Insurance workers operating in the Western Australian workers’ compensation system underwent two, 1.5 hour sessions of biopsychosocially informed education focusing on understanding and identifying barriers to recovery of injured workers with musculoskeletal conditions. Back pain beliefs were assessed pre-education, immediately post-education and at three-month follow-up (n = 32). Self-reported and Injury Management Advisor-reported assessment of change in claims management behaviours were collected at the three-month follow-up.RESULTS: There were positive changes in the Health Care Providers’ Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale (p = 0.009) and Back Beliefs Questionnaire (p = 0.049) immediately following the education that were sustained at three-month follow-up. Positive changes in claims management behaviours were supported by self-reported and Injury Management Advisor-reported data.CONCLUSION: This study provides preliminary support that a brief biopsychosocially informed education program can positively influence insurance workers’ beliefs regarding back pain, with concurrent positive changes in claims management behaviours. Further research is required to ascertain if these changes result in improved claims management outcomes.

Complex return to work process – caseworkers’ experiences of facilitating return to work for individuals on sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders

“…For example, the focus group identified that MRI or examinations were sought after to make a diagnosis more concrete, however, imaging such as MRI scans is not recommended in guidelines for treating many types of MSD, for instance, low back pain [ 38 ]. Previous research has shown that brief biopsychosocial education can improve insurance officers beliefs and knowledge [ 50 ].…”

Insurance workers’ and physiotherapists’ perceptions of their roles in the management of workers with injuries in the Western Australian workers’ compensation system

“…Perceptions identified in this study could be used to inform educational interventions to improve communication between stakeholders and ultimately outcomes in the return to work process. We have found insurance workers are receptive to education that includes components of role definition and champions a shared basis of understanding as a platform for improved communication (41). Development of a policy document that highlights good communication practice and strategies to overcome barriers, that sits alongside the "Clinical Framework for the Delivery of Health Services" (9) in Australia, would be a good future step to enhance understanding of the concepts identified in this research and more broadly in the literature.…”

Applying the behavioural change wheel to guide the implementation of a biopsychosocial approach to musculoskeletal pain care

“…This can strengthen health systems to support high value musculoskeletal pain care ( 62 ). Examples of existing partnerships and collaboration may include: partnering with patient advocates from the Global Alliance of Partners for Pain Advocacy (GAPPA) task force ( 63 ) or people with lived experience of pain to create better outcomes in the understanding, research, teaching and management of musculoskeletal pain ( 64 – 66 ); partnering with consumer representatives from Cochrane musculoskeletal review group to develop meaningful and person-centred clinical practice guidelines ( 46 ); delivering biopsychosocial-informed education to promote improvements in insurance workers’ pain beliefs and helpful claims management behaviour ( 67 ); aligning country-level strategies to address the burden of pain to the newly developed global blueprint/framework for musculoskeletal health ( 68 , 69 ). Additionally, as highlighted by our previous qualitative review ( 15 ), there is a critical need within health systems to support interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary care, especially for complex and chronic pain presentations.…”