A defined care pathway cut shoulder claim duration by 2 months
Shoulder claims are among the most expensive an employer carries. In this cohort the median claim ran 114 days, and the strongest predictor of a bad outcome was how long the worker waited before treatment started.
66.4
days shorter
Employer
2,482 Alberta workers
Sector
Claims cohort
Scale
From a total cohort of 5,075. Median claim duration 114 days
Period
2004 to 2018
What they did
A shoulder care pathway with specialist assessment and collaborative return to work planning, replacing ad hoc referral.
What was measured
Reduction in claim duration
66 days
Shoulder injuries healed and got back to work about 2 months sooner under a proper care pathway.
as published: MD = 66.4; 95% CI 49.1, 83.7
Return to modified duties
1.8x
Workers on that pathway were almost 2× as likely to get back on light duties instead of staying home.
as published: 1.8 times greater (95% CI 1.4, 2.3)
Risk when treatment is delayed
1.4x
Wait too long to start treatment and the worker is 1.4 times more likely to never come back at all.
as published: RRRadj = 1.4, 95% CI 1.03, 1.8
What this means for your site
Delay is the variable, and delay is what an on-site clinician removes. The worker does not book, travel, wait for a referral or lose a shift. Assessment happens where the work happens, on the day.
Measure yours.
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