Study Suggests Early Surgery Reduces Claim Duration, Experts Criticize Findings

While a study from Harbor Health Systems suggests that surgical intervention earlier than called for in treatment guidelines can reduce litigation and claim duration, two workers’ compensation experts cautioned readers not to abandon those guidelines. The study, “Impact of Aggressive Care in Workers’ Compensation,” examined 1,162 claims with dates of injury between January 2010 and June 2012 in which the patients received anterior cruciate ligament repair, arthroscopic meniscectomy of the knee, rotator cuff repair or open carpal tunnel release. The researchers compared...