Third-party healthcare technology in workers’ compensation can be enormously helpful in getting injured workers back to work. Remote patient monitoring tools and other at-home digital healthcare solutions serve as an extension of the healthcare provider, nurse case manager, adjustor, and payer. The right healthcare technology can lower costs of care, reduce the number of DART days, get employees back to work faster, and ultimately serves to meet a variety of goals across all stakeholders involved in a claim.

However, a common concern when bringing on a new third-party technology vendor is whether or not it will add litigation risk. And if there is added risk, do the benefits outweigh any potential increase to litigation?

Debating whether to build or buy healthcare technology to meet your organization’s goals? Here are 4 common reasons buying is better.

Litigation in Workers’ Compensation Cases

Remote healthcare solutions are given to injured workers’ and patients to supplement the care that they’re receiving. By digitally extending the reach of a third-party administrator, the frontline team, or primary care team, an injured worker can receive comprehensive, continuous care. A digital recovery program that offers guidance from the date of injury, through to a safe return-to-work, means that an injured worker is supported, monitored, and being educated and advocated for.

Like a nurse case manager, a complete remote care solution helps an injured worker who is scared, confused, angry, and stressed—the recipe for litigation. Through technology, you can offer appropriate evidence-based care throughout all of the key milestones of a claim. When the injured worker

The Benefits Should Always Outweigh the Risks

Your chosen workers’ compensation digital healthcare solution should offer greater patient support, and enact the appropriate care plan to follow. A digital solution can also help with the assessment of how the injured worker is responding to a particular treatment plan.

Ultimately, the right healthcare vendor solution used by third-party administrators, insurers, and employers should not increase litigation risk and should work in conjunction with patients, nurse case managers, adjusters, and the providers. Your chosen technology should outweigh any risks, or should even help to decrease this risk of litigation and liability.

Read more about what’s next in the future of telehealth and remote patient care.

5 Ways Digital HealthCare Technology Mitigates Litigation Risk

1. Activate Each Injured Worker. Patients that receive at-home physical therapy, health education, nutrition information, mental health exercises, etc., are activated in their health. These claimants also feel taken care of by their employer, insurer, and provider. Activated injured workers are more satisfied with the care they receive, and are less likely to draw out their claim. Patients who are supported and have better outcomes are less likely to pursue litigation.

2. Close Cases Faster. Injured workers that receive at-home digital care and daily guidance recovery faster from injury and surgery. Specifically, patients that use PeeWell to prepare for musculoskeletal surgery and follow PeerWell’s recovery program, return to work 57% faster than those who don’t. Closing cases more efficiently, more quickly, and offering tools to each claimant to speed up recovery means a better outcome.

3. Manage Risks. With the right patient-monitoring solution, case managers, adjusters and providers, get daily health metrics to monitor progress and track irregularities. Data is reliable and paints a factual picture of how each claim is progressing. Solutions that accurately capture things like: VAS pain scores, Range of Motion tracking, 6-Minute Walk Tests, etc., mean that it’s easier to understand how a claimant is really recovering. Using actionable data to mitigate risks, lower slips and falls rates, reduce surgery complications, and steer hospital discharge locations all help to cut litigation.

4. Offer Comprehensive, Full Care. A digital solution like PeerWell that offers comprehensive musculoskeletal recovery, means supporting the whole patient during their full recovery journey. While most work injuries have a potential for litigation, it’s the denial of workers’ compensation claims and treatment plans that most commonly lead to an injured worker initiating litigation. When necessary and related medical care is delayed, a claimant may also take legal action. By approving at-home digital care as soon as a surgery is prescribed or an injury is reported, the claimant is never left unattended.

5. Keeping Record. Developing key records, and proof that a discharge plan, care plan, self-assessments, etc., were delivered appropriately, can minimize the possibility for litigation. If a lawsuit were to be filed, having these records and being able to show the exact care plan that was executed can be integral to proving any wrongdoing.


Looking to add a musculoskeletal recovery platform to your arsenal? Learn how PeerWell gets injured workers’ back to work faster, healthier.