Design and Developing the Whiplash Navigator as a Digital Resource for Insurance Personnel

Abstract

At least 50% of people with whiplash do not recover within six months. Significantly, access to guideline-based, high-value, low-cost care is delayed due to the stepped care mode., where people are quickly stepped up too often for unnecessary services such as imaging (e.g. unnecessary MRI) and referrals (e.g. surgery). The insurer is a key stakeholder in Australia's whiplash injury treatment process, and they need more resources. The aim is to design, develop and implement MyWhiplash Navigator (MWN) with Allianz (a CTP insurer) and evaluate the effect on insurer knowledge, practice patient reach, acceptance and health outcomes.   Following a research translation framework.   Phase 1: Co-design of bespoke resources (website pages) within MWN to assist insurance personnel in implementing the above key messages from Whiplash guidelines.   Phase 2: Implement MWN amongst Allianz insurance personnel. Insurers receive interactive education from opinion leaders. Processes were embedded within the workflow as reminders for Allianz personnel. Key processes include i) encouraging claimants to use MWN and complete WhipPredict online. ii) encourage claimants and their primary HCPs to use the resources in MWN to support treatment and iii) facilitate referral of claimants at medium/high risk of poor recovery to ‚Äúwhiplash‚Äù specialists.   Phase 3: Evaluate outcomes including i) insurer knowledge (pre-post questionnaire), ii) insurer practises (pre-post case file audit) and iii) patient reach, acceptance and health outcomes (post-questionnaire). Preliminary results. The website component is live, and 89 case managers across NSW, SA, and QLD have received the interactive education and are using the MWN as resources within their workflow. Allianz personnel have integrated the process into their workflow, resulting to date in 52 claimants Whipredict completed online and two claimants at medium/high-risk referral to 'whiplash' specialist.   WMN as a resource for insurers was well-accepted and integrated into the case manager workflow in this pilot. Phase 3 is still ongoing.