Transcript Is Pain hurting your business?

Pain in the Workplace
IS PAIN HURTING YOUR BUSINESS?
MELODY HICKS, MC, LPC
What to Expect
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Introductions
What is Pain?
How much does pain cost employers?
Prescription pain medication
Preventing Pain; dealing with pain
Summary & Resources
Introductions
• Melody Hicks, MC,LPC – Behavioral Health
Integration Manager in the Healthcare Innovation
Department at Maricopa County Public Health
• Sherry Haskins, MPA, Worksite Initiatives
Manager at Maricopa County Public Health
• Angela Moreth & Vincent Lopez – webinar crew
from Maricopa County Public Health
What is Pain?
“Pain is a common human malady that
spares no group and often impairs
function.”
from a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association
Types of Pain
Chronic Episodic
Pain (Migraines)
Chronic Persistent
pain (pain from arthritis)
Acute pain (sudden,
intense…related to an emergent
health problem or injury)
Pain is difficult to
measure & has an
emotional component
How Prevalent is Pain?
From 2008 World Health Organization
Survey…
43% of people in the U.S. -approximately 100 million adults
report having “common chronic pain
conditions”
Leading persistent pain - headaches
(migraines); back pain and neck pain
40 to 50% of Americans feel that pain interferes with their mood,
activities, sleep, ability to work or enjoyment of life
2014 Bureau of Labor
Statistics
2.8 million reported on the job injuries
Workman’s Compensation
• Work related Musculoskeletal
disorders refer to disorders of
the neck, back, hand/wrist,
elbow and shoulder affecting
muscles, tendons, nerves and
joints not caused by acute
trauma
Up to 80% of all claims
How much does Pain cost employers?
In 2010 the Institute of Medicine of the national
Academies Report compiled information about pain
for employers. They looked at three factors:
Dollars lost between 297 to
335.5 billion annually
1. Days missed because
of pain
2. Hours of work lost
because of pain
3. Wages lowered
because of pain
Incremental Health care costs range from 261 to 300 billion
Prescription Drugs for Pain
- Opioid pain relievers
are often prescribed for
injuries and after
surgery
- Acute vs. chronic pain
- Increase in abuse and
misuse in past 25 years
Some medications for pain
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Codeine
Fentanyl
Hydrocodone
Hydromorphone
Meperidine
Morphine
Oxycontin
Oxycodone
Tramadol
The risks of taking prescription (Opioid)
drugs for pain
- Low blood pressure; slowed
respiratory rate
- Memory problems
- Physical dependence
- Addiction/misuse
- Decreased work performance
- Increase in risky behavior;
accidents
- For women of childbearing
age, risks with pregnancy
Few Facts about Prescription Opioids
37 % of drug overdoses involve
prescription opioids – age range at
most risk 45-64; substantial
number of women
Arizona ranks 12th in prescription
opioid overdose deaths
Effectiveness of opioids for chronic
pain is questionable
What Can Employers Do?
Start the Conversation…
What is your organization doing
to educate employees about pain
medications and disposal of such
medications?
What is your organization doing
to prevent or reduce pain created
in the workplace?
Consider creating policies around use of prescription medication
Remember the ADA (Americans Disability Act)
is important to review/understand with regards
to the use of over-the-counter/prescription
drug use
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Create policies for assisting employees who might
be dependent/abusing substances to get
assistance and to protect their confidentiality
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Create policies around those returning to work
from treatment
Drug Testing – When and Why to do it?
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Train Supervisors and Managers how to identify employees in pain or using
prescription pain medication and how to approach employees
Signs/symptoms:
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Inconsistent or declining productivity
Trouble concentrating
Increasing absences, illnesses, accidents or injuries
Bad judgment, risky behavior, improbable excuses
Increasing problems with supervisors, colleagues
Deteriorating grooming or personal appearance
Approach: State observable behaviors or changes in
behavior/productivity and come from a place of
concern. Ask open-ended questions. Suggest use of
Employee Assistance but work from a performance
issue standpoint.
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Offer Options for Reducing/preventing pain in the
workplace
• Occupational Therapy options for
those that report pain or are
injured
• Complementary and Alternative
Medicine (CAM) options
• Identifying ergonomic hazards
that pose the risk of injury to the
musculoskeletal system and
reducing ergonomic stress
• Employee Assistance Programs
(EAP) for assistance with mental
health and substance use
problems
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Success Stories
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Ergonomics
BMW in 2007 implemented a pilot project for
workers on an assembly line.
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Replaced cement floors to reduce impact on knees
Barbershop chairs were installed to allow workers to sit at workstations
Orthopedic footwear provided to reduce strain on feet
Adjustable worktables to reduce physical strain and facilitate personnel
rotation during shifts
In the first year – 7% increase in productivity reduction from 7% to 2% of
absenteeism
ServiceMaster of Seattle, which is a disaster restoration
service company decided in 2007 to move their cleaning
and storage facility because their lease was up. Before
moving they decided to consult an ergonomics expert to
improve productivity and to reduce pain and injuries.
Changes:
- Shortened the reach to
conveyer belts/counter depth
- Bought easy to move tables
for staging and storage
- Bought rolling racks to easily
move items
As of 2008 productivity was up by 8 percent; they also saved 2% in
building costs for their new cleaning stations.
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Complementary Alternative Medicine
Ronald J Borden & Company is a
Chicago based accounting firm that
offers employees monthly on-site
massage therapy to increase their
energy levels (and morale got a boost,
too).
The Colorado Health Institute in Denver
implemented a program that included yoga
and “two o’clock walks” involving 20 minute
walks on and around the organization’s
grounds to combat stress and heavy
workloads.
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Prescription Drug Toolkit
from the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission
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The toolkit is easy to use and is color coded for better
navigation. The Rx Drug Misuse and Abuse Initiative
toolkit’s eight sections include:
Strategy 1 - Reduce illicit acquisition and diversion of
prescription drugs
PDF Version Word Version
Strategy 2 - Promote responsible prescribing and
dispensing policies and practices
PDF Version Word Version
Strategy 3 - Enhance Rx drug practice and policies in law
enforcement
PDF Version Word Version
Strategy 4 - Increase public awareness and patient
education about Rx drug misuse and abuse
PDF Version Word Version
Strategy 5 - Enhance assessment and referral to
substance abuse treatment
PDF Version Word Version
Action Plan - The Action Plan is color coded by strategy
and provides easy to follow goals, objectives and action
items.
PDF Version Word Version
http://azcjc.gov/ACJC.Web/Rx/toolkit.aspx
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HAWP Resource
http://healthyazworksites.org/pain-in-the-workplace/
Additional Resources and information about pain for employers
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SUMMARY
What is Pain?
Types of Pain
Prevalence of Pain
Cost of Pain for Employers
Prescription Drug use/abuse
What Employers Can Do
Success Stories
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Contact Information
HAWP Information
& Trainings
Melody Hicks, MC, LPC
Information about Pain
in the Workplace
Behavioral Health Integration
Manager
[email protected]
602/359-3286
WeArePublicHealth.org
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References
http://www.aota.org//media/corporate/files/aboutot/professionals/whatisot/hw/facts/pain%20rehabilitation%20fact%20sheet.pdf
(fact sheet from the American Occupational Therapy Association about Pain Rehabilitation)
http://painsproject.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/pain-policy-issue-5.pdf
(identifying non-pharmacological
approaches to deal with pain)
http://www.asam.org/magazine/read/article/2014/06/12/twelve-step-recovery-and-medication-assistedtherapies (American Society of Addiction Medicine’s site – explaining how Medication Assisted Therapies (MAT) and 12-Step programs work)
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/back-pain/art-20044526?pg=1&p=1
(Mayo
Clinic sheet on preventing back pain at work – tips and suggestions)
http://safety.uchicago.edu/tools/faqs/ergonomics.shtml
(University of Chicago Ergonomics page – explains what Ergonomics
and Ergonomic hazards and provides some basic information and guidelines)
http://www.cdc.gov/nationalhealthyworksite/docs/Issue_Brief_No_1_Older_Employees_in_the_Workplace_712-2012_FINAL(508).pdf (for those considered “older” helping to find ways to reduce potential injuries or pain)
http://azlwi.org/about-arizona-living-well-institute/healthy-living-with-chronic-pain-cpsmp
(Healthy Living with
Chronic Pain workshop is a chronic pain self-management program)
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References
http://www.lni.wa.gov/safety/SprainsStrains/casestudies/default.asp
(case studies that worked to prevent injuries)
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=197628
(article from Journal of American Medical Association about Lost
Productive Time and Cost Due to Common Pain Conditions in the US workforce)
http://www.nsc.org/RxDrugOverdoseDocuments/proactive-role-employers-can-take-opioids-in-theworkplace.pdf (the booklet for employers about Opioids – suggestions and ideas about how to deal with this issue with employees)
https://theacpa.org/uploads/documents/ACPA_Resource_Guide_2016.pdf
(a guide for consumers for pain medications
and treatments )
https://iprcc.nih.gov/National_Pain_Strategy/NPS_Main.htm
(2016 National Pain Strategy for improving pain care in America)
http://www.propertycasualty360.com/2011/08/05/musculoskeletal-disease-is-major-pain-in-work-comp
(looks at
workman compensation claims and reasons for claims)
http://www.lni.wa.gov/safety/research/files/wmsds.pdf
(from state of Washington about workman compensation for
musculoskeletal disorders)
http://www.painmed.org/patientcenter/
(The American Academy of Pain Medicine site which offers information about pain
for patients and interested adults)
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References
http://azcjc.gov/ACJC.Web/Rx/toolkit.aspx
(The Arizona Criminal Justice Commission website which houses the Toolkit to
help with Prescription Drug Misuse and Abuse)
http://healthyazworksites.org/pain-in-the-workplace/ (Healthy Arizona Worksites Program website that provides
additional information and resources regarding dealing with pain in the workplace)
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