Acute Injury Management

• Access to immediate medical advice and support for the injured employee and their manager
• Injury Hotline available 24 hrs / 7 days a week
• Immediate processing of Injury and Incident Record Forms
• Immediate notification of an injury via email/SMS
• Coordination of appropriate medical treatment through one of our affiliated Medical Provider Network of General Practitioners, Physiotherapists, Psychologists or Occupational Therapists, as required
• Reduce unnecessary Doctors appointments and/or unwarranted medical certification (directly impacting injury statistics)
• Customised materials and online training for managers and employees, to assist with the roll out of the Acute Medical Management Service

KINNECT’s Injury Hotline provides triage suitable for most injuries, but is not equipped to handle life-threatening situations. If the injury is life-threatening, the manager should call 000.

When an Injury Occurs:

If a supervisor is present, the injured employee should immediately contact their supervisor. The supervisor then calls the KINNECT Injury Hotline.

If no supervisor is available, the injured employee can contact the KINNECT Injury Hotline themselves.

Assessment of the Injury:

A KINNECT consultant will answer the call and speak with the supervisor. Our consultants will determine the severity and nature of the injury and what the best course of treatment should be.

Depending on the injury, the employee may be provided with first aid or self management advice, allowing them to remain at work, or alternatively may be referred off-site to a designated medical centre or Physiotherapy clinic for further treatment.

Reporting / Notification:

Whenever a call is placed, KINNECT will obtain specific information about the injured employee. This information is kept confidential in nature and is only released to relevant company representatives.

The information collected during the call is compiled into a report which is immediately emailed / SMS’d to the relevant company representative/s. This report covers:

• Injured Employee’s Name, DOB, Contact Details & Position
• Supervisor Name & Contact Details
• Date of Injury
• Incident Location
• Injury Description
• Acute Medical Management Provided

Off-Site Medical Treatment

If during the call, it is determined that off-site medical treatment is required, KINNECT will coordinate an appointment for the injured worker through one of our 200+ affiliated Medical or Physiotherapy Centres throughout Australia.

The KINNECT consultant will liaise with the supervisor, injured employee and the relevant clinic to ensure all parties are informed on the treatment plan. During this appointment, the injured worker will receive further examination on their injury and any necessary acute medical care required.

The KINNECT consultant will liaise with the relevant Medical or Physiotherapy Clinic to discuss the treatment provided and the return to work plan for the injured worker.

If a medical review is required, KINNECT will ensure that the Doctor has an understanding of the workers physical demands and the availability of suitable duties within the workplace, thus guaranteeing that an appropriate medical certificate is issued (i.e. suitable duties vs total incapacity)

Responding to workplace injuries can be challenging:

• Employees who work alone or in small work groups might not have access to immediate medical care.
• Supervisors who are often the first to respond to injuries, are not appropriately trained or skilled to provide proper injury management services or able to determine the seriousness of the injury and the appropriate treatment required.
• Minor musculoskeletal injuries such as sprains or strains are often referred off-site to a medical centre for treatment that is more expensive, time consuming and no more effective then Physiotherapy or first aid advice.
• Medical clinics and hospitals are not familiar with the workplace environment and ability for the employer to offer modified duties, or return-to-work programs for the injured worker.
• Injured workers who are seen by off-site medicals clinics or hospitals, are more likely to become caught up in a treatment system that that does not incorporate a return to work focus making the length of the employees’ return to work longer.
• Large organisations with multiple work sites / frequently changing work sites or large workforce’s working multiple shifts may experience issues with responding to workplace injuries due to poor communication systems between supervisors and health / safety representatives.

KINNECT’s Injury Hotline provides a simple and effective way to address the challenge of managing work-related injuries:

• Immediate access to health professionals for injured employees and their supervisors, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Immediate determination on whether first aid treatment is appropriate or if off-site medical treatment is required.
• Consistency in treatment of work related injuries, through adequately equipped medical centres who understand the return to work focus.
• Prompt reporting of all workplace injuries to all designated company representatives via email / SMS.
• Integrated return to work management following the acute injury management phase.
• Centralised and streamlined claims processing service that educates and assist the injured worker in the claims processing phase.