Importance of Psychosocial Factors for Physical Therapy Outcomes

Despite the growing recognition of the importance of psychosocial factors in recovery, there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding of their prevalence, impact, and potential interventions, especially within the workers’ compensation system. This study aims to fill some of these gaps. Psychosocial risk factors include poor recovery expectations after an injury, fear avoidance, poor… Read More >>

Workers’ Compensation Medical Cost Containment: A National Inventory, 2024

With medical benefits representing the single largest cost component for many state workers’ compensation systems, this new study provides a basic understanding of the cost containment strategies used in all 50 states and 3 federal workers’ compensation programs as of January 1, 2024. The study includes tables of statutory provisions, administrative rules, and processes used by states,… Read More >>

Impact of Vertical Integration in Workers’ Compensation

As vertical integration of medical providers has increased over the last decade, this study examines how claim costs, disability duration, and the nature of care change when patients see newly integrated medical providers relative to non-integrated providers. Supporters of vertical integration argue care can be delivered more efficiently and this translates into improved outcomes. Opponents… Read More >>

Time to First Medical Service—A WCRI FlashReport

This study examines the time from injury to first medical service among injured workers across states before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Time to first service provides insights for the understanding of access to medical care for workers with injuries. The focus of the analysis is on the median number of days from injury to first medical service by major type of provider (such as… Read More >>

Comorbidities and Recovery after Physical Therapy for Low Back Pain

This study examines the prevalence of self-reported comorbidities, assesses the association between self-reported comorbidities and functional improvements, and identifies other important predictors of physical therapy outcomes. Identifying these comorbidities and understanding their impact on recovery may help workers’ compensation stakeholders better understand which low back pain cases are… Read More >>

WCRI Conference Includes Session on Psychological Risk Factors and Functional Recovery

Cambridge, MA, Jan. 18, 2024―Today, the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) announced that a session on “Psychological Risk Factors and Functional Recovery” will be held at its 2024 WCRI Issues & Research Conference, March 5-6 in Boston, MA. WCRI Policy Analyst Vennela Thumula will present the Institute’s latest research on the topic. “This session provides insights… Read More >>

Excessive Heat and Work-Related Injuries to Be a Focus at WCRI Conference

Cambridge, MA, Jan. 11, 2024―Today, the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) announced that a session on “Excessive Heat and Work-Related Injuries” will be held at its 2024 WCRI Issues & Research Conference, March 5-6 in Boston, MA. WCRI Vice President of Research Sebastian Negrusa and Washington State Department of Labor and Industries Research Director David Bonauto will… Read More >>

Start Off 2024 Right by Attending WCRI’s Annual Conference

Happy New Year! The start of a new year is the perfect time to make a resolution. Start off 2024 right: Resolve to gain new insights and a better understanding of key trends in today's workers' compensation environment by attending WCRI's 40th Annual Issues & Research Conference, March 5-6, in Boston, MA. Our two-day program highlights presentations of WCRI's latest… Read More >>

Gift Yourself the Experience of Attending WCRI’s 2024 Conference

This holiday season, gift yourself the experience of attending the 40th Annual WCRI Issues & Research Conference, March 5-6, 2024, in Boston, MA. Our two-day conference differs from other workers' compensation forums with our original research on timely issues impacting state workers' compensation systems: Comorbidities and the Functional Recovery of Low Back PatientsDrivers of… Read More >>

WCRI Holds Webinar on CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks, 24th Edition

Cambridge, MA, Oct. 27, 2023 – The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) will hold a one-hour webinar on its recently release CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks, 24th Edition on Thurs., Nov. 16, 2023, at 2:00 pm ET. WCRI Senior Analyst and Author Carol Telles will share findings from the studies and take audience questions. “The CompScope™ series is a valuable tool for monitoring… Read More >>

WCRI: Poorer Recovery Seen among Injured Workers with Psychosocial Risk Factors

Waltham, MA, March 28, 2024―A new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute found that workers’ compensation patients had a higher prevalence of psychosocial risk factors than private insurance patients, and a stronger association between psychosocial risk factors and functional outcomes. “Despite the growing recognition of the importance of psychosocial factors in recovery,… Read More >>

Thank You for Attending WCRI’s 2024 Conference

Thank you to all our speakers and attendees for making our sold-out 2024 Annual WCRI Issues & Research Conference a resounding success! We hope our attendees enjoyed learning about our latest research, hearing from our well-regarded keynote speakers and panelists, and networking with our diverse audience. Save the date for next year’s conference, March 6-7, 2025, in sunny Phoenix, AZ. For… Read More >>

Ramona Tanabe on WCRI’s annual confab.

Ramona Tanabe, CEO of WCRI – a most excellent workers’ comp research organization – was kind enough to carve out a few minutes on the eve of this year’s gathering of the brainiacs to answer a few of your reporter’s questions. Read More >>

WCRI: Tracking How State and Federal Workers’  Comp Programs Contain Medical Costs

Cambridge, MA, February 27, 2024―With medical benefits representing the single largest cost component for many state workers’ compensation systems, the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) released a new study today that provides a basic understanding of the cost containment strategies used in all 50 states and 3 federal workers’ compensation programs as of January 1, 2024. The… Read More >>

2024 WCRI Conference Is Sold Out

Registration for our 40th Annual WCRI Issues & Research Conference, March 5-6, 2024, is now closed. To keep informed about next year’s conference, please subscribe to our email list on the front page of our website. Read More >>

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Our WCRI Medical Price Index for Workers' Compensation, 15th Edition compares prices paid for medical professional services across 36 states and monitors price changes from 2008 to 2022, which includes just over a year of medical services delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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