Using innovative tools to diagnose workers’ comp injuries

Technology is fostering innovation in treatments for soft-tissue injuries. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Getting injured workers back to work quickly is contingent on getting them the right treatment as soon as possible. Unfortunately, that’s not possible when the initial diagnosis is incorrect — something that happens frequently, according to physicians at the Mayo Clinic. A study that compared the diagnoses from primary care providers with those of specialists found the vast majority were at least partially if not totally wrong.

The results of misdiagnoses are “treatment delays, complications leading to more costly treatments, and even patient harm or death,” the authors said. “Effective and efficient treatment depends on the right diagnosis.”