Program schedule

Details

September 17, 2021 to December 3, 2021

Date and time:
Fridays, 1:00pm - 2:30pm

Location:
Zoom videoconferencing

Program objectives

At the end of this program, health-care providers will be able to:

  • recognize work-related or environmental conditions
  • support patients to manage injuries and illnesses that affect return to work/stay at work to improve workability
  • communicate effectively with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) to improve access to care and a safe return to work/stay at work
  • collaborate effectively with workplace and allied health professionals to improve access to care and a safe return to work/stay at work

Cycle 1 schedule

Each session features a patient case presentation and discussion followed by a didactic presentation listed below.

Overview of occupational and environmental medicine

Learn about the roles and functions of an occupational physician and occupational health teams, the common categories of occupational medical conditions and the relationship between the occupational and environmental aspects of OEM.

Anil Adisesh
Engaging with the WSIB/insurance systems 1

Learn what the WSIB is and how it functions, the role of health-care providers in the workers’ compensation system, and how to effectively complete Form 8s for your patients 

Aaron Thompson
Diagnosis and management of work-related injuries and illnesses

Learn how to define occupational illness and injury, how to evaluate a patient for a suspected occupational or environmental illness or injury, and outline a return-to-work plan.

Vincent Spilchuk
Return to work and disability management

Learn about the role of allied health practitioners in return to work and disability management, key principles for successful return to work and identifying resources for suitable workplace accommodations. 

Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia
Mental health and work 1

Learn how employers and healthcare providers can work collaboratively to support and facilitate return to work in an individual with a mental health condition, the organizational factors required to provide a healthy work environment, and how stigma impacts the ability to obtain appropriate healthcare services.

Mental health and work 2

Learn the difference between mental stress and illness, presentations and impact of mental illness in the workplace, and how to develop an approach to case management of mental health claims.

Nadia Aleem
Recognizing occupational and environmental hazards

Learn common types of occupational hazards, questions that can help you understand a worker’s occupational exposures and exposure limits that may apply to an individual worker's job. 

Victoria Arrandale
Assessment of fitness for work

Learn about the concept of “workability”, how to apply functional principles to facilitate “workability”, the types of barriers to return to work and the physician's role in helping to overcome them. 

Anil Adisesh
Engaging with the WSIB/insurance systems 2

Learn about health-care programs offered by the WSIB and how the return-to-work services work, how primary care providers are integrated into the continuum of care in WSIB programs, and how to interact with WSIB programs

Aaron Thompson
Musculoskeletal conditions and chronic pain among working patients

Learn about an approach to examining a person with a musculoskeletal condition, treatments for low back pain and indications of opioids for nociceptive, neuropathic and nociplastic chronic pain.

Andrea Furlan
Engaging with relevant workplace parties

Learn when, why, and how physicians should engage with workplace parties.

Sol Sax
Ethics and legal issues in occupational medicine

Learn about the inherent conflicts related to work and health that may arise for health care providers, the role that health care providers play in helping their clients/patients navigate systems related to work and health, and some of the system supports that exist to aid both workers and health care providers involved in their care

Nikhil Rajaram