The Division of Workers’ Compensation finally announce the release of the 137 Page fourth edition of the Physician’s Guide to Medical Practice in the California Workers’ Compensation System. This comprehensive guide helps physicians and other health care providers dispense care to injured workers while complying with the statutes and regulations that are applicable to medical providers.

This edition of the Physician’s Guide to Medical Practice in the California Workers’ Compensation System has been developed by the Division of Workers’ Compensation to continue the mission set forth in the first three editions of the Physician’s Guide, namely, to assist physicians in understanding the many complexities in the California workers’ compensation system in order to provide optimal care to ill and injured workers.

“The physician’s guide was last revised in 2001, and much has happened in the last 15 years,” said DWC Acting Administrative Director George Parisotto. “The guide provides up-to-date information that will help practitioners apply the reforms set forth in SB 863.”

“Physician understanding of the workers’ compensation system is critical to helping deliver appropriate care to injured workers,” said DWC Acting Executive Medical Director Dr. Raymond Meister.

The manual contains 16 chapters, revising material from the third edition and providing new chapters on the following subjects:

1) Parties to the System
2) Benefits and Payments to Employees
3) Reports and Timelines in the System
4) Evidence-Based Medicine and the MTUS
5) Utilization Review and IMR
6) Physician Payment and the OMFS

The Physician’s Guide is intended as an educational and reference tool to supplement the reader’s professional experience. While intended primarily for treating providers, others in the workers’ compensation community may also find the information helpful, particularly Qualified Medical Evaluators (QMEs) and those preparing for the QME certification exam which is set for April 16th.

Claims administrators who encounter physicians who are having difficulty navigating and complying with the workers’ compensation system may find it expeditious to send a PDF copy of this Guide to the physician, pointing out the chapter that is most applicable for the physician to read in order to learn about how the system works. Physicians would be well served to look over this Guide in its entirety and have it handy as a reference source when questions arise.