TAC

What is Occupational Physiotherapy?

Occupational physiotherapy provides a range of programs that help clients recovering from transport accident injuries to return to work (RTW) and other functional activities as early as possible.

Clients receiving occupational physiotherapy may expect:

• improved functional outcomes
• defined return to work goals
• accurate expectations regarding the recovery process from injury
• increased knowledge and independence during the recovery process
• early navigation of evidence based chronic pain management options if required.

Occupational physiotherapy aims to deliver better health outcomes by guiding clients to contracted occupational physiotherapy providers (Mallee Physio) who will deliver specialist return to work and health rehabilitation outcomes, retaining the client’s right to choose.

Occupational physiotherapists use active treatment modalities such as exercise and patient education. They lead the RTW process in collaboration with the client’s medical practitioner and other treaters. This includes conducting worksite visits, developing and implementing return to work programs and writing specific occupational physiotherapy return to work certificates, known as the TAC ‘Occupational Physiotherapy: Certificate of Capacity’. Under an occupational physiotherapy program, returning to work is an important treatment modality.

For complex ‘return to work’ programs, or where a client is unable to return to work with his/her pre-injury employer, occupational physiotherapists may work in close collaboration with vocational services to facilitate early ‘return to work’ with an alternate employer. See also the TAC Vocational Retraining and Pre-Vocational Training policy.

Forms and Publications

• Client information sheet: Occupational Physiotherapists – Helping you recover and get back to work
• Employer information sheet: Occupational Physiotherapy – Information for Employers
• GP information sheet: Occupational Physiotherapy – Helping TAC clients recover and get back to work

(TAC, www.tac.vic.gov.au 2011)