For thepast few years, workers' compensation has experienced a general decline in claims frequency. The badnews is that frequency may soon flatten out and could begin torise. This shift may significantly exacerbate the challenges claimsprofessionals already face in workers' compensation. For example,although it is understood that prompt reporting of injuries leadsto improved claims outcomes, there are still many barriers toachieving this best practice.

Medical costs continue to rise at double-digit rates, and as aresult, now comprise approximately 60 percent of the average claim.Indemnity costs are also problematic. Even though organizationshave spent considerable time and resources to facilitatereturn-to-work (RTW) programs, these initiatives have failed toyield optimal outcomes. Within this current state of flux, manyorganizations are looking to implement innovative strategies toovercome traditional hurdles, but what is new in workers'compensation?    

What is Injury Triage?
Recently, a new trend has emerged, wherein employers are turning tonurse call centers to perform injury intake, thereby enablingtimely, accurate reporting, while also triaging injuries to themost appropriate level of care. Triage is the process during whichmedical professionals assess and assign a degree of urgency to awound or illness. Triage has predominantly been used in the ER todetermine the order in which patients should be treated, especiallywhen there is a limited number of medical staff available. Today, atelephonic form of the process has evolved, leading to the growingpopularity of nurse call centers.