Musculoskeletal health Insights

Today, musculoskeletal disorders rank as one of the top conditions driving medical claims globally.
Claims are primarily associated with general back pain, as well as disc and soft tissue disorders, validating a widely cited explanation of poor ergonomics and less daily movement since the onset of wide-spread home working.
Here we summarize some of the things employers and insurers should consider to manage this risk and resources available from Generali Employee Benefits to support your initiatives.

Working practices and policies

When consulting with clients on suitable interventions we consider the sector and type of work being undertaken.
Sedentary office-based workers have very different needs to workers in production facilities/warehouses or those in sales or distribution roles. The best place to start is exploring data from health & safety incident reports, ergonomic assessment reports and evaluating work design and processes, such as repetitive movements common in many production lines, to identify the source of risk and therefore the most effective interventions.

Workplace interventions may include ergonomic assessments, changes in work design to reduce repetition of certain movements, home working packages to improve home ergonomics, wellbeing interventions such as physical activity programmes, education and digital therapeutic tools to supplement medical insurance provision.

The case for employer investment is strong with musculoskeletal conditions accounting for 28% of all work-related ill health cases in the UK in 2020/21, musculoskeletal conditions requiring 38% more lost time than the average injury/illness (11 days vs 8-day average) and increased long term disability (musculoskeletal conditions are the world’s leading cause of disability and only 59.4% of working-age people with a musculoskeletal condition are in work in the UK).

Digital tools to reduce cost & improve outcomes

Digital musculoskeletal platforms have emerged to bridge the gap in public and private insurance coverage as well as providing lower cost treatment pathways, where medically appropriate. These digital interventions combine symptom assessment, therapeutic exercise programmes, patient education and cognitive behavioural interventions overseen by licensed physiotherapists operating two-way communication channels with the member.

The power of these platforms lies in their ability to identify symptoms quicker, provide quick access to low-cost care and improve member adherence to treatment programmes; all of which significantly improves healthcare outcomes.

This is unsurprising when data shows that 49% of patients with lower back pain give up physiotherapy after four sessions8. The lack of convenience of many treatments continues to be an issue: over a quarter of pain sufferers report that they haven’t had treatment because they haven’t had the time9. Among those who would consider PT but have not pursued it, cost is the highest barrier to treatment.
With the rise in telemedicine acceptance and increased utilisation amongst those seeking access to care, patient appeal for musculoskeletal platforms is also growing. Almost three-quarters (74.3%) of all pain sufferers would consider a virtual physical therapy solution and those using the services rate them highly with >90% completion rates and 80+ NPS scores

Musculoskeletal health Insights

Scope of coverage

Education & steerage into alternative care pathways

Physical activity interventions

Working practices and policies

Mental health and wellbeing

Digital tools to reduce cost & improve outcomes

Our health & wellbeing team is available