The probability of work-related accidents increases by 5 to 6% when the temperature rises above 90 degrees compared to 65-70 degrees, according to a recent study from the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI).
The study, which analyzes claim-level data and temperature data from May to October over the 2016-2021 period, explores two different types of work-related injuries caused by heat: direct and indirect. “Direct heat-related injuries are of a physiological nature, where the effect of heat on one’s body leads to heat exhaustion, syncope, or cramps.” Meanwhile, “Indirect heat-related injuries occur when heat impairs the perceptual, motor, or cognitive abilities of workers, leading to accidents (like falling off a ladder on a hot day).”
The study found that the effect is stronger in the South and for construction workers. “Also, the effect of excessive heat is larger on traumatic injuries, including fractures, dislocations, and contusions and lacerations,” notes the study.
In Texas, Decline in Physicians Treating Workers
Meanwhile, despite the uptick in work-related injuries due to heat, the number of physicians treating injured workers has seen a slight decline, according to the 2024 Access to Care report by the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) Research & Evaluation Group.
The number of physicians participating in the Texas workers’ comp system in 2022 was 17,659, and the workers’ comp physician retention rate in 2022 was only 76%. However, the report states that the “decrease in the number of claims per participating physician does not necessarily indicate a worsening access to care condition because the number of patients (claims) in the workers’ compensation system decreased significantly, 10% from 2017 to 2022.”
Overall, according to the study, “Physicians who participated in 2016 had a 79% retention rate in 2017…. Among those who participated in 2021, 76% of them continued to participate in 2022. The remaining 24% who left the workers’ compensation system is partly explained by normal attrition processes among physicians, such as retirement, death, changes in practice type, and migration. Newly licensed and relocated physicians are entering to replace those who left.”
Looking at the larger picture, “56% of the physicians who had participated in 2017 still participated in 2022…. The annual decrease (attrition rate) remains about 6% a year. Among the top 20% of participating physicians in 2017, 74% of them were still participating in 2022, with an attrition rate of less than 6% a year. Among the top 20% of participating physicians in 2017, 74% of them were still participating in 2022, with an attrition rate of less than 6% a year. These predictable attrition rates indicate that physician participation is regular and stable in the long-term.”
CLM Fellow Weighs In
Nicole Corey, ARM, CRIS, WCCP, workers’ compensation specialist, California Work Comp Advocacy, draws parallels between the results in Texas and her state of California. She says, “In California, there is a significant need for more workers’ comp physicians and treaters. I would say the strain is more so with ongoing care, treatment modalities, and specialists, as opposed to the initial evaluation. Also, the number of days from reporting an injury and seeing a medical clinician may not be related to the number of available clinicians. There may be other factors involved, so it is a question of correlation or causation.”
Corey did not find any major surprises in the study. “The majority of physicians [are] in metropolitan areas, and [there were fewer] claims during Covid. Participation decreased slightly but [that was] more so to do with attrition. Also, the numbers showed a sizeable decrease in participation by primary care physicians, but that was muted by an increase of other specialties.”