Problems with Diagnosis of Injury/injuries
Unless an injury is relatively minor and it heals completely with little or no medical or other treatment input, a holistic and comprehensive assessment is essential. The model that is supposed to be used for assessing general health, medicine, and rehabilitation is the bio-psychosocial model. What this means is that it is not only the physical aspects of person’s health that needs to be assessed and planned for in treatment.
The person’s psychological, and social situation also needs to be considered. For example, psychological responses to injury are inevitable if the injury is significant (or trauma is involved). When the injury doesn’t resolve or considerable discomfort continues then sleeping, energy levels and ability to carry out activities at home and at work can be affected. Financial difficulties also result when income is affected by the injury and there is an incapacity to meet financial commitments. All of these changes and potential challenges are likely to result in increased stress for the injured worker , and have the potential to become associated with clinical anxiety and depression if the underlying issues aren’t addressed. The environment the injured worker lives is exposed to at work also affects stress levels. An unsupportive employer or limited support networks at home can and usually does compound coping difficulties and limits treatment responsiveness.
The NTD is supposed to have the skills and experience to assess and identify possible problem areas. Unless the NTD is able to identify barriers and is proficient in making relevant referrals, treatment access is likely to be delayed and treatment responsiveness reduced.
