Your Medical Destiny is Within Your Control

Sunday, July 6, 2003 | 0

Click on the "Employer" tab on this site and you'll find a lot of discussion about medical control. The fight for medical control during the first 30 days following a work injury is critical to the employer for controlling costs. But the first 30 days after a work injury are also critical to you for controlling your medical destiny, and it's your body ... why shouldn't you be in control?

It's no secret that there are big problems with the workers' compensation system right now. Many states are under fire for charging too much and providing too little. Much of the blame is being leveled against physicians and other medical providers for driving up the costs of medical claims with unnecessary tests and treatment. It certainly isn't your job to keep medical costs under control. You are, after all, entitled to all medical treatment reasonably necessary to cure or minimize the effects of an industrial injury. But the fact remains that there are many unscrupulous individuals out there that see you as a big dollar sign, and will perform medical procedures - some unnecessarily - at your expense.

Some physicians in the system make recommendations for diagnostic tests that simply aren't necessary, and can be painful or damaging to the patient. And it's no secret that some vendors make a tidy profit by making referrals for testing and other procedures when they simply are not necessary, and you - the injured worker - become the victim. A system that was established first and foremost to address the needs of injured workers also makes you a profit center for many.

So what's an injured worker to do?

According to reputable doctors, an informed patient makes the best patient. Taking control of your own medical destiny will result in a faster recovery, with less pain, and a quicker return to work.

First, get educated. If the physician is making recommendations about testing when it seems reasonably clear what your condition is, find out why he wants the test and what it is supposed to accomplish. Ask the physician to explain it to you until you understand it. Don't be afraid to ask questions - you are the patient, and it is your recovery that is at stake.

Next, do your research. There are a vast number of medical resources available on the Internet to help you find information on medical issues and medical technology. Here are just a few:
Yahoo Directory of Diseases & Conditions Merck Manual Online Version;
Wheeless' Textbook of Orthopaedics;
OrthoGuide.com;
Pain.com;
Internet Mental Health;
Human Anatomy On-Line; Rx List.

Go to the Forums and ask other injured workers about unnecessary testing and find out what they've experienced. Chat groups and forums are available on the Internet as well. You can get advice from other injured workers, gain some insight into your condition or compare notes on what your physician is recommending.

When you take control of your medical destiny, you put yourself first, which is what is supposed to happen. Stay educated, stay informed, get well faster and get back to work!