For a conference of the Workers' Compensation Educational Conference's size and magnitude, the process of renovating the annual program "house" is not an easy one. On one hand, the conference has existed successfully for 63 years based on the strength of its foundation: a program that addresses the problems and issues workers' comp professionals face year after year. On the other hand, the conference could end up rickety and dilapidated without a fresh coat of paint on the walls every now and then to keep matters fresh.

It's with this metaphor in mind that WCEC Program Chairman Steve Rissman and Program Moderator Dr. Robert Barth venture out on a home improvement of sorts by introducing a new breakout to this year's schedule, "Using Health Science to Resolve Workers' Compensation Claims: Why Evidence-Based Medicine Is Important." While the topic itself isn't new, the approach is.

"In our opinion, it's the first breakout in the country that was an evidence-based medicine program directed at adjusters, employers, and lawyers -- not doctors," said Rissman, who in addition to his chairman duties is an attorney at Rissman, Barrett, Hurt, Donahue, and McLain, P.A. "Evidence-based medicine is taught in a lot of seminars, but it's not directed to this type of audience. It's been our goal to nationalize and devise a program that adjusters, employers, and lawyers can attend and understand what evidence-based medicine is so they can use it in their cases and practices."