Travelers cuts opioid use among injured construction workers
The Travelers Companies, Inc. reports that it has reduced opioid use by nearly 40 percent among the injured construction workers it has helped, thanks in part to the Early Severity Predictor® model, which helps predict which injured employees are at higher risk of experiencing chronic pain. Additionally, the insurance giant implemented a comprehensive pharmacy management program that monitors drug interactions, excessive dosing and abuse patterns to reduce the risk of opioid dependency.
Construction sites contain many health and safety risks for workers, with strains, sprains, broken bones and head traumas among the most common employee injuries. All of these can lead to chronic pain, a condition that is often treated with highly addictive opioids. In fact, roughly half of all workers compensation claims related to the construction industry that are submitted to Travelers involve opioid prescriptions.