Occupational Health File Review Services

Notwithstanding applicable medical confidentiality and privacy rules, employers have the general right to know from a worker whether they have a health condition that could impact workplace safety, attendance, performance, or productivity, in order to manage risk and to provide necessary accommodation.

The challenge for the employer is to utilize an arm's-length approach to manage any health-related issues that impact the workplace, but still try to obtain objective and valid information regarding the medical concern, including treatment. This objective and valid information can then be used to support the employer's position in relation to how is best to manage the risk and/or accommodation request in order to ensure safety, attendance, and satisfactory performance and productivity in the workplace.

Occupational Health File Review Process

DriverCheck has developed an Occupational Health File Review (OHFR) process that uses a collaborative approach to assist employers in managing medical issues in the workplace.

An OHFR is a confidential file review process that is guided by an employer’s specific concern for a worker related to an injury, illness, or medical disorder. This is a paper review service that involves:

• A nurse-led intake with the employer

• A nurse and/or physician telephone interview with the worker

• Where applicable, obtaining pertinent medical records and prescription/authorization documentation from the worker’s treating health care practitioner(s)

• A comprehensive, written report of findings that is delivered back to the employer answering any referral questions and advising of  fitness-for-duty recommendations

Use cases for the OHFR process include:

• As part of an integrated Disability Management Program

• Assist with a determination of a worker’s fitness for duty to return to work with or without a need for workplace accommodation following an absence or performance decline

• Assist with workplace accommodation for workers to remain at work

• Help determine the medical fitness of a worker to perform certain job tasks

Through the OHFR process, DriverCheck’s Occupational Health team can:

• Verify and substantiate the nature of any underlying medical condition(s) that precipitated the referral

• Evaluate performance or attendance concerns, including absenteeism or presentism, as a result of any underlying medical condition(s)

• Promote stay-at-work initiatives by assessing the appropriateness of any proposed workplace accommodation(s)

• Provide the employer with recommendations including the necessity of workplace accommodation to help return the worker to meaningful work through a graduated return-to-work process

DriverCheck offers a variety of Occupational Health File Review Services that can be used for several different scenarios that affect worker fitness for duty or concerns including:

• Disability and Absence Management: Assist with a determination of a worker’s fitness for duty to return to work, or stay at work, with or without a need for workplace accommodation following an absence or performance decline.

• Medical Cannabis Use and Fitness for Duty: Worker discloses the use of cannabis for medical purposes.

• Opioid Agonist Use and Fitness for Duty: Worker discloses the use of an opioid agonist such as suboxone or methadone.

• Post Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation and Fitness for Duty: Assessing, monitoring, and evaluating individuals returning to the workplace after being diagnosed and/or treated for a known or suspected substance use disorder.