Comprehensive Disability Management.

OVERVIEW

Comprehensive Disability Management articulates current disability management knowledge and provides insight into new concepts. Practitioners of disability management come from many diverse health and health related professions such as nursing, psychology, occupational therapy, etc. Disability management is an emerging profession without adequate reference materials.

As professionals, disability management practitioners have a significant impact on the financial and human costs of disability. Most major corporations have the need for a disability management program and therefore require individuals with skills to perform these functions. The financial costs of disability in corporations are one of the key target areas that require attention. The human costs of disability are also dramatic and efforts need to be made to reduce the impact of disabilities on individuals.

The book documents proven techniques in disability management for practitioners in the field. It introduces the first theoretical model in this developing profession and provides practical examples on how to implement and manage an effective disability management program. The approach commences with an overview and the history of disability management as a developing practice area. The authors establish a theoretical base for disability management to guide the activities of practitioners in the field. They then translate the theory into action paradigms and address important issues around the disability management process including role definitions and discussions on key components.

The disability management process, including:

• claim initiation,
• claims management,
• return to work and
• rehabilitation,

will be discussed. The important aspects of:

• data analysis and
• quality assurance in program evaluation for this field

are also considered. The book addresses the core aspects of disability management knowledge, skills and capabilities and reviews in detail the factors that influence the ability to effectively perform disability management in today’s workplaces. It also looks at the interaction of the workplace organization.

REVIEW

International Journal of Disability, Community & Rehabilitation; Volume 4, No. 2
This book provides a comprehensive synopsis of the organizational and operational elements needed for disability management (DM) to be effective within the workplace. The chapters are organized in logical progression and address necessary program components from disability prevention to program evaluation. The authors take care to differentiate claim and case management, to demonstrate the critical role of early intervention, to explicate a simple process for determining return on investment, and to illustrate the essential process of sustained, multidirectional communications-- all very central to effective DM. The book is a valuable resource for advancing best practice in DM-- both by solidifying the conceptual and operational framework that should characterize DM efforts and by articulating the core knowledge competencies needed by those working in DM. This is an important contribution toward the advancement of DM as a valuable approach for sustaining employment.

FEATURES

• Formulates the business case for disability management in an organisation, helping the reader understand how disability management fits into the overall functioning of a corporation
• Presents a theoretical model that recognises the influence of multiple issues on a disability outcome
• Reviews the proven disability management techniques for ensuring evidence-based best practice treatments

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
1. History and Evaluation of Disability Management
2. Components of Disability Management
3. A Conceptual Model for Disability Management
4. Disability Management in the Organization
5. Disability Management and Prevention
6. Program Development
7. Early Intervention
8. Claim Initiation
9. Claim and Care Management
10. Return to Work
11. Rehabilitation
12. Duty to Accommodate
13. Program Evaluation
14. Communication
15. Ethics in Disability Management
16. Future Trends in Disability Management Index