This essay reviews the article - ‘Physician Review of Workers, Compensation Case Files:
Can It Affect Decision Outcomes?’ This article was based on the compensation paid to employees who are injured or get sick in the work place. These claims are charged back to the employing agency and are covered by the federal employees’ compensation act of 1916. These costs are increasing and are projected to rise further due to an increasing number of ‘old’ workers (above 55 years).
The hypothesis of this research was that the review by a compensation claimant’s file by a physician reduces the amount of compensation paid. The study sought to establish the relationship between compensation approved for sick or injured employees and review of the applications by a physician. The study looked into whether; recommendations by naval physicians had an impact on the compensation approved by the office of workers compensation program ( Hammett, Jankosky, Muller, Hughes& Litow, 2012)
Dependent and Independent variables
In the research carried out the independent variables included age, gender, type of illness, sex, date, and wage grade. The dependent variables included approval or denial by the physicians and the office of workers compensation programs.
Selection of Participants
The participants used in this study were not obtained using conventional statistical sampling techniques. Statistical sampling is used to ensure that the sample obtained for the analysis is representative and unbiased. The sample was obtained from the navy injury compensation program administrators. This sample was not subject to any sampling technique such as random or stratified sampling for example.
Types of Bias in the Study
Bias refers to the systematic variations in the research outcomes that render the findings less accurate and reliable (Kirk, 2008). The research under review had selection bias as the sample was not obtained through statistical sampling. Providers of the sample may have given a sample that is biased. The research was also prone to measurement bias due to the nature of to the complexity of the relationship. It is difficult to link compensation costs saved to the physicians review.
Satistical Samling Techniques used to Analyze the Results
Statistical sampling test procedures are designed to help make a decision on whether there is sufficient evidence to reject or accept a null hypothesis (Kirk, 2008). This study used null hypothesis to analyze the results. Null hypothesis was used in this case. The researcher used the hypothesis that review of the cases filed for compensation reduced the amount of total compensation paid. The tests carried out sought to prove or disapprove this hypothesis.
Ethical issues
The main ethical issue in this research is the handling of the subjects’ confidential information. Obtaining records that include health data of individuals whose consent has not been sought may be a breach to their confidentiality. The individuals may sue the navy injury compensation program administrators for divulging the details in their records to third parties without their consent. This may be seen as unethical as sensitive health data on the individuals may leak to third parties causing discomfort among the test subjects.
Other potential Problems with the Study
The other main problem is the way the samples were obtained. To be relied upon, samples should be objectively obtained by ensuring that the researcher is independent and appropriate procedures are followed while collecting the samples. The study also failed to enquire why the navy department did not incur additional direct costs following increased review by the physicians.
Conclusion
The research was very insightful and well meant as it looked into an area where huge cost benefits can be achieved by curbing payment of insincere claims. However the researcher should have put more measures to make sure that the data used was representative by employing appropriate research sampling techniques. Future research in this subject should employ a larger sample and also consider using questionnaires.
References
Hammett, M., Jankosky, C., Muller, J., Hughes, E., & Litow, F. (2012). Physician Review of
Workers' Compensation Case Files: Can It Affect Decision Outcomes? Military
Medicine, 177(1), 17-22. Retrieved June 1, 2012 from ProQuest.
Kirk, R. E. (2008). Statistics: An introduction. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth.
