U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Performance Support for Workers’ Compensation Exams and Reports
The Department of Veterans Affairs VALU (VA Learning University) had a need to train its staff to properly handle workers’ compensation claims for its employees. This entails both the front end (medical exams) and back end (medical reports) of claims processing.
Agency medical examinations are used by human resources and workers’ compensation staff to legally acquire objective medical evidence upon which to base important employment decisions. Many complex considerations must be taken into account to determine when and how to properly order and administer these exams.
After the medical exams are conducted, VA staff must be equipped to evaluate the medical narratives produced by physicians in support of workers’ compensation claims to assure that the reports are complete and will hold up under third-party review.
The ramifications of the skills taught in this program include employees receiving proper care, leave, or modified duties to assure their recovery from medical conditions, as well as costs to the VA in terms of claims paid and lost time.
Tata Interactive Systems (TIS) designed and developed a web-based training offering to teach the principles and practice of agency medical exams and medical narratives. The SCORM 2004-conformant, Section 508-compliant course was delivered via the Department’s VALU (VA Learning University) Online learning management system.
The target audiences include staff members specializing in human resources, occupational health, injury compensation, and equal employment opportunity.