Health practice and management
Health-care providers and health-care services play an important part in the return to work (RTW) of injured workers and in disability management processes at workers’ compensation boards in Canada. IWH research supports front-line health-care practitioners—including primary care physicians and allied health-care professionals, who support or treat workers with injuries and illnesses that affect their ability to work.
Featured
At Work article
PTSI treatment program delivers benefits for first responders, but no change in return-to-work rates
First responders face high rates of post-traumatic stress injuries (PTSI) due to the nature of their jobs. In response, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board commissioned an intensive, 14-week program treatment program tailored to these workers, which has undergone a multi-part evaluation.
Published: March 9, 2026
Research Highlights
Telementoring program addresses return-to-work challenges for Ontario health-care providers
An IWH study has found that Ontario health-care providers face a range of challenges when treating workers with a work-related injury or illness and helping them return to work—a telementoring program called ECHO Occupational Environmental Medicine helped providers overcome some of these challenges.
Published: July 8, 2025
IWH Speaker Series
IWH Speaker Series
What are physicians told about their role in return to work?
Physicians have an important role in the return to work (RTW) process, but research shows that they sometimes struggle to manage RTW consultations and help patients return to work after an injury. As part of a broader exploration into the role played by doctors in RTW, an IWH team led by Dr. Agnieszka Kosny sought to examine resources, policies and guidelines that have been developed for physicians by workers’ compensation boards, governments and other organizations across Canada. In this plenary, Kosny highlights resource gaps that may hinder physicians’ understanding of their roles and responsibilities in the workers' compensation system and RTW process, and which may ultimately delay workers’ RTW after injury.
Published: November 2016
At Work article
DASH developers credit groundwork and ongoing support for measure’s 20-year success
In its 20th anniversary year, the DASH Outcome Measure continues to be used in ever broader contexts.
Published: April 2016
IWH in the media
Study looks at relationship between employers and doctors in return to work
A key element of a successful return to work is a good, communicative relationship among the injured worker, the employer and the worker’s doctors. But a study found the relationship between employers and doctors can be marred by mistrust and lack of communication.
Published: OHS Insider, April 2016
At Work article
Employers and doctors often have uneasy relationship in return to work, study finds
Interviews with Australian employers highlight problems with physicians over communication, trust.
Published: February 2016
At Work article
New review finds motor control exercise reduces low-back pain, disability among sufferers
Published: February 2016
Impact case study
The growing use and application of IWH’s DASH Outcome Measure
Researchers and clinicians alike have embraced the 20-year-old measure that assesses function and disability among people with upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders.
Published: April 2015
Project
Project
Role of health-care providers in the workers’ compensation system and return-to-work process
How do health-care providers their role in the return-to-work process? What challenges do they face interacting with workers’ compensation boards, injured workers, employers and other health-care professionals? These are among the questions answered by a multi-jurisdictional research team led by IWH.
Status: Completed 2017
Impact case study
WSIB narcotics strategy reducing harm and spending
IWH opioid and chronic pain expert, Dr. Andrea Furlan, helps shape new rules in her role on drug advisory committee.
Published: December 2014
Impact case study
IWH expertise key to opioid guideline, tool development
Work on Canadian opioid guideline in turn leads to development of opioid management tool and helps launch IWH scientist's profile as opioid expert.
Published: July 2012
Project
Project
Understanding the use and impact of early opioid prescriptions for work-related low-back pain
Do opioids prescribed in the early weeks of a new workers’ compensation lost-time claim for low-back pain result in prolonged work disability? This was one of the questions asked by an IWH research team looking at the opioid prescription patterns with respect to low-back pain.
Status: Completed 2017