36 clinics chosen to try new ACOEM guidelines
Thirty-six clinics will introduce new practice guidelines from the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) as part of a 12-month research project to assess the effect of the new treatment parameters.
ACOEM is researching the "usability" of the new practice guidelines. Seventy physicians and 75 nurse case managers at the clinics will complete a formal training program in how to use the guidelines and are expected to use them in treating up to 65,000 patients in the next year.
That will be the first year of a three-year research program intended to assess the applicability of the guidelines and improve them. The clinicians at the 36 clinics will provide feedback to make the guidelines more "user friendly." In the second year, ACOEM will collect data on practice patterns and patient health and functional outcomes. In the third year, an independent research group will evaluate the data to correlate medical care and disability management with patients’ recovery of health and function.
Occupational Medicine Practice Guidelines: Evaluation and Management of Common Health Problems and Function Recovery in Workers is a 368-page book that addresses almost all occupational health topics. ACOEM published the book in April 1997. For information on purchasing the guidelines, contact OEM Press at (800) 533-8046.
You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
- Award-winning Medical Content
- Latest Advances & Development in Medicine
- Unbiased Content