The Occupational Health Assessment Program (OHAP) is an assessment program that consolidates:
- Regional evaluation centres (REC)
- Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) consultants
- Low back expert physician examiners, and
- Medical consultant reviews
The Occupational health assessment program (OHAP) provides musculoskeletal assessments, mild traumatic brain Injury assessments and general clinical assessments and medication reviews. It also provides case consult services, and builds on our existing partnerships with public hospitals across the province. The OHAP creates a clear and effective continuum of care for people with work-related injuries, and improves integration across all WSIB programs and services.
Ensuring that a person’s health care team – primary health care provider, community treatment provider or Specialty Program provider – are collaborating and communicating, makes it easier to get people the right treatment at the right time.
Through a provincial network of public hospitals and partnerships, the program delivers care closer to home and facilitates a clear coordinated care path for all parties involved in the care and recovery of a person with a workplace injury or illness.
OHAP assessment services
Musculoskeletal assessment
This assessment is for people with musculoskeletal injuries/soft tissue injuries to the upper extremities, lower extremities and spine performed by the OHAP assessment interdisciplinary team, incuding the physician and the Work Capacity Liaison, who is part of the doctor’s team. (WCL).
There are four types of musculoskeletal assessments that may be requested by the WSIB:
- Type 1: up to two (2) musculoskeletal injuries/soft tissue injuries work-related injuries
- Type 2: three (3) to five (5) musculoskeletal injuries/soft tissue injuries work-related injuries
- Type 3: six (6) or more musculoskeletal injuries/soft tissue injuries work-related injuries
- Type 4: intended for migrant persons with a workplace injury or illness who requires an expedited assessment
Referral criteria
Injured and ill people may be referred for this assessment to clarify the diagnosis/prognosis, confirm the treatment that is required to support recovery, determine the person’s functional abilities to support return to work, and/or to identify emerging psychosocial factors.
Mild traumatic brain injury assessment
This assessment is for people who have a suspected or confirmed mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and are in the early stages of their recovery. .
The OHAP assessment will be performed by a physician, who has undergone specialized training for head injuries, and a Work Capacity Liaison. The assessment will identify the diagnosis, the person’s functional abilities and the treatment recommendations to best support recovery.
The assessment will ensure early identification of emerging issues that may impact recovery (e.g. psychosocial concerns, mental health).
Referral criteria
Injured and ill people may be referred for this assessment to better understand the diagnosis/prognosis, confirm what treatment is required to support recovery, determine the person’s functional abilities to support return to work and identify emerging psychosocial concerns.
General clinical assessment and medication review
This assessment is for people who have a workplace injury/illness not otherwise included/described in the musculoskeletal or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). There may or may not also be accompanying medication issues. This assessment will be performed by a physician who specializes in the area of injury being examined. The assessment may include a Work Capacity Liaison and/or a pharmacist.
As with the other assessments offered by the WSIB, this assessment, following the physical examination, will include a discussion with the OHAP assessment team and the person regarding the assessment findings, recommendations and the person’s return-to-work plan, if applicable.
If the main focus of the assessment concerns medication, a pharmacist will interview the person and collaborate with the OHAP physician to review the person’s medication history and drug regimen to understand the impact on recovery, function, quality of life and return to work (if applicable).
Follow-up occupational health assessment
This is an assessment for people who have previously undergone any of the above assessments to monitor and evaluate the person’s response to treatment, functional abilities, recovery, and return-to-work plan.
Case consult services
Case consult services offer quality medical opinions to help improve recovery and return-to-work outcomes for people with work-related injuries or illness. There are three types of case consult services: General, Occupational Disease and Specialty, all performed by physician specialists.
Faster access to specialized care that is closer to home
The WSIB ensures that people with a workplace injury or illness receive the highest quality care, as close to home as possible.
We make sure they get this through:
- Partnering with hospitals across the province to facilitate access to specialized care
- Ensuring the Specialty Program teams work together to provide the best care possible for someone with a workplace injury or illness, and also supporting the person’s primary health care providers and community providers by communicating with them regarding the person’s recovery and return-to-work plan.
- Innovative and flexible contracts with providers, that support advances in technology, so that they are more adaptable and can make improvements without having to wait for the next contract cycle.
- The support of a WSIB Return-To-Work Specialist to better support someone’s safe and appropriate return to work.
- Evaluating our Specialty Programs, against the latest evidence and best treatment practices to make sure that everyone with a workplace injury or illness receives the very best care.
See the Occupational Health Assessment Program (OHAP) and Specialty Programs contact information.
If you are participating in a the Occupational Health Assessment Program as a patient and want to give feedback, you can read more about how to provide patient feedback.