Occupational Medicine & Health Affairs
Open Access

Abstract

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 2.8 million non-fatal, recordable, injuries and illnesses in the US in 2019. Work-related injuries result in multiple days of lost productivity, which translates into lost revenue for employers, workers, families, and the larger community. Most injuries, particularly musculoskeletal injuries, have a defined time course for recovery. While many workers return to work within a reasonable time frame, managing workers who do not wish to return to work quickly can be challenging. Keywords return-to-work timeline, barriers to recovery, workplace injuries, on-the-job recovery Objectives At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will know how to: identify the recognized time course for most work-related injuries; recognize the barriers to recovery during the occupational medicine clinical encounter; implement communication techniques for sharing the expectations for recovery and the return-to-work timeline with workers. References 1. Zaidel CS, Ethiraj RK, Berenji M, Gaspar FW. Health Care Expenditures and Length of Disability Across Medical Conditions. J Occup Environ Med. 2018 Jul;60(7):631-636. 2. Hegmann KT, Travis R, Belcourt RM, Donelson R, Eskay- Auerbach M, Galper J, Haldeman S, Hooper PD, Lessenger JE, Mayer T, Mueller KL, Murphy DR, Tellin WG, Thiese MS, Weiss MS. Diagnostic Tests for Low Back Disorders. J Occup Environ Med. 2019 Apr;61(4):e155-e168. 3. Stay-at-Work and Return-to-Work Process Improvement Committee. Preventing needless work disability by helping people stay employed. J Occup Environ Med. 2006 Sep;48(9):972-87.

Biography

Dr. Cadet is an accomplished Air Force Veteran whose work as a Flight Surgeon aided in the successful execution of 1,080 combat missions and 2,000 airlift missions in support of Operations INHERENT RESOLVE and ENDURING FREEDOM. After completing her military service, Dr. Cadet transitioned to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she completed her Occupational and Environmental Medicine residency. Dr. Cadet is board-certified and currently practices in Southern California. She is the Employee Health Medical Director at Loma Linda University Health, where she provides occupational health oversight for the University’s 22,000 employees. In addition to her administrative and clinical roles, Dr. Cadet teaches and trains occupational medicine, workplace wellness, and public health concepts to residents, providers, and employers.