Mixed Deck — All CDMS Topics Flashcards

Any diminished, missing, or lost bodily or mental function

Answer: Disability

Disability refers to any lost, absent, or impaired physical or mental function that affects a person's ability to perform daily activities and participate fully in society.

What is 'contact stress' as an ergonomic risk factor?

Answer: Concentrated pressure on body tissue from hard surfaces or edges during work tasks

Contact stress occurs when hard surfaces or edges press on soft tissue (tendons, nerves, blood vessels), impairing circulation and increasing injury risk.

What does an 'experience modification factor' (EMR or e-mod) measure in workers' compensation insurance?

Answer: An employer's claim history compared to industry average losses

The EMR compares an employer's actual losses to expected losses for its industry, rewarding good safety performance with lower premiums.

What is subrogation in the context of workers' compensation?

Answer: The insurer's right to recover money paid from a liable third party

Subrogation allows the workers' compensation insurer to sue a negligent third party to recover benefits already paid to the injured worker.

A disability management specialist determines that an injured worker cannot return to their previous occupation due to permanent restrictions. The NEXT step is to:

Answer: Conduct a transferable skills analysis and labor market survey to identify feasible alternative occupations

When the prior occupation is no longer feasible, the specialist conducts a TSA and labor market survey to identify alternative jobs consistent with the worker's restrictions and skills.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), what is a 'reasonable accommodation'?

Answer: A modification or adjustment that enables a qualified person with a disability to perform essential job functions

A reasonable accommodation is any change to the work environment or job that enables a qualified employee with a disability to perform essential functions.

What is the 'interactive process' required by the ADA?

Answer: A good-faith dialogue between employer and employee to identify effective accommodations

The interactive process requires the employer and employee to engage in good-faith communication to explore and identify reasonable accommodations.

Which federal law established the framework for state workers' compensation programs in the United States?

Answer: The Workers' Compensation Act of 1908 (Federal Employees)

The Federal Employees' Compensation Act of 1908 was the first major US workers' compensation law, though each state administers its own separate program.

It is designed to lower the expenses associated with all absences, whether brought on by the need to care for a sick kid, a brief sickness, a lack of contentment with one's work, or accidents.

Answer: Absence management

Absence management refers to the systematic approach taken by organizations to manage and reduce employee absences. It aims to address various types of absences, including those caused by the need to care for a sick child, short-term illnesses, work-life dissatisfaction, and injuries. The goal of absence management is to minimize the costs associated with employee absences and ensure the smooth functioning of the organization.

What is 'substantial gainful activity' (SGA) in the context of SSDI?

Answer: Work performed for pay above SSA's monthly earnings threshold

SGA is work activity that involves significant physical or mental effort performed for pay above a set monthly earnings threshold, used to determine SSDI eligibility.

What is a 'near-miss' incident in workplace safety?

Answer: An unplanned event that did not result in injury but had the potential to do so

A near-miss is an unplanned event with injury potential that did not result in harm; analyzing near-misses helps prevent future injuries.

What is the primary goal of workplace ergonomics in disability management?

Answer: Fitting the job to the worker to reduce physical strain and prevent musculoskeletal injuries

Ergonomics adapts work tasks, tools, and environments to human physical and cognitive capabilities to reduce injury risk and enhance performance.

Which term describes a workers' compensation claim that is disputed by the employer or insurer?

Answer: Controverted or denied claim

A controverted or denied claim is one where the employer or insurer disputes compensability, causation, or benefits owed.

Under workers' compensation, an occupational disease is generally defined as a condition that:

Answer: Arises naturally from common employment conditions over time

An occupational disease is a condition caused or aggravated by the nature of the employment rather than a single acute injury event.

In a return-to-work (RTW) program, which approach has been shown to produce the best outcomes for injured workers?

Answer: Early, modified duty return to work as soon as medically feasible

Research consistently shows that early return to work, even in a modified capacity, reduces chronic disability and improves long-term outcomes.

Which federal agency enforces Title I (employment) provisions of the ADA?

Answer: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

The EEOC enforces ADA Title I, which prohibits disability discrimination in employment.

A disability manager notices a claimant is resistant to returning to work despite medical clearance. Which psychosocial barrier is MOST commonly associated with this pattern?

Answer: Psychological readiness and fear of re-injury

Psychological readiness, including fear of re-injury, low self-efficacy, and anxiety, is one of the most common psychosocial barriers to return-to-work even when medical clearance has been granted.

Which of the following is an example of a 'light duty' or modified work assignment?

Answer: Allowing a worker with a lifting restriction to perform clerical tasks temporarily

Modified or light duty assignments match transitional work tasks to the injured worker's medical restrictions to facilitate early return to work.

What is a 'job analysis' used for in disability management?

Answer: Documenting the physical and cognitive demands of a specific job to match worker capabilities

A job analysis systematically documents physical, cognitive, and environmental demands of a position to compare with a worker's functional capacity.

What are Waddell's signs used to assess in occupational and disability medicine?

Answer: Non-organic physical signs that may indicate psychosocial contributions to pain behavior

Waddell's signs are five physical examination findings that, when positive in combination, suggest psychosocial rather than structural contributions to pain.