DOCUMENT 19
FOI 24/25-0380
Research Request – Definition of Early Intervention in health and
rehabilitation
Information on how ‘early intervention’ is defined in the context of a
rehabilitation/treatment approach with adults with musculoskeletal
conditions.
For context, we described that
“early intervention” is typically therapy
Brief
supports provided early in a diagnosis, intended to reduce the long
term functional impact or progress of the condition.
The lawyers are seeking confirmation that this term is well known in
the “industry” of health care and rehabilitation.
Date
12/08/19
Requester
S47F - Personal Privacy
Researcher
S47F -
Personal
Contents
Use of the term ‘early intervention’ and definitions .............................................................................. 2
Definitions of early intervention in work injury space ............................................................................ 3
Definitions of rehabilitation .................................................................................................................... 4
Relevant COAG APTOS passages ..............................................................
Error! Bookmark not defined.
Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................ 5
P a g e |
1
Page 1 of 5
FOI 24/25-0380
Use of the term ‘early intervention’ and definitions
The term ‘early intervention’ is frequently referred to in the health, mental health, rehabilitation and
work cover (workplace injury) fields.
The Allied Health Professions Australia website states that:
Musculoskeletal conditions affect muscles, joints, nerves, soft tissues, tendons and ligaments
are common in our community. All ages can be affected and the conditions may be acute,
arising from injury or unaccustomed activity, or due to a long‐term condition. Allied health
practitioners are key to prevention, diagnosis, early intervention and treatment of injuries
and pain and the ongoing management of chronic musculoskeletal conditions1.
The Meriam‐Webster dictionary defines
early /
intervene / musculoskeletal independently as2:
near the beginning of a period of time;
to interfere with the outcome or course especially of a condition or process (as to prevent
harm or improve functioning);
of, relating to, or involving both musculature and skeleton.
In March 2014 – a European Steering Group (ESG) on Sustainable Healthcare was developed by
pharmaceutical research company, which brings together expertise from the policy community, civil
society, healthcare professionals, scientific societies, academics and industry. This group published a
paper titled
Acting Together: A Roadmap for Sustainable Healthcare. This paper highlighted the
importance of prevention and early intervention stating that:
Prevention means intervening before something becomes a serious health issue, including
eradicating, eliminating or minimising the impact of disease and disability or, if this is not
feasible, slowing the progression of disease and disability. Early intervention, on the other
hand, is the process of providing specialist intervention and support services for a person
who needs them, either early in the life course or at the onset of the development of a
health problem.3
Early Intervention is also often used in the context of children with developmental disabilities. The
Royal Australasian College of Physicians states that:
Early intervention for children with developmental disabilities involves timely provision of an
optimal nurturing and learning environment that aims to maximise developmental and
health outcomes and reduce the degree of functional limitations.4
1 Australian Health Professions Australia, ‘Musculoskeletal health’,
Allied Health Professions [website], 2019,
<https://ahpa.com.au/key‐areas/musculoskeletal‐health/> accessed 12 August 2019.
2
Merriam Webster Dictionary [online], 2019, < https://www.merriam‐webster.com/dictionary/early> accessed 13 August
2019.
3 AbbVie, ‘Acting Together: A Roadmap for Sustainable Healthcare’,
European Steering Group 2015,
<https://www.abbvie.com/content/dam/abbviecorp/us/desktop/sustainablehealthcare/images/EU‐Call‐To‐Action.pdf>
accessed 12 August 2019.
4 Paediatric and Child Health Division, ‘Positon Statement: Early Intervention for Children with Developmental Disabilities’,
Royal Australasian College of Physicians [website], 2013, <https://www.racp.edu.au/docs/default‐source/advocacy‐
library/early‐intervention‐for‐children‐with‐developmental‐disabilities.pdf> accessed 12 August 2019.
P a g e |
2
Page 2 of 5
FOI 24/25-0380
Early Intervention is also used in the mental health space. The Australian Commonwealth
Department of Health states that:
People with an emerging mental health problem or mental illness will be identified and
treated as early as possible in the initial phase and any subsequent episode, to minimise the
severity and duration of the condition and to reduce its broader impacts [and] early
intervention can reduce the impact of mental health problems and mental illness5.
In 1993 a controlled study of the effects of an early intervention on acute musculoskeletal pain
problems was conducted by the Department of Occupational Medicine at the Orebro Medical
Center in Sweden
6.
The study demonstrated
that early active physical therapy intervention for patients
suffering their first episode of acute musculoskeletal pain significantly decreased the
incidence of chronic pain.
In this study, injured workers complaining of acute musculoskeletal pain were either seen by
a physical therapist within the first few days after injury or had to wait a week or more to be
seen. Both groups were seen by a general practitioner to rule out aggressive disease or
problems that might require medical treatment. Patients in the early intervention group saw
a physical therapist within the first three days following their injury.
Of those people who were suffering their first episode of musculoskeletal pain who had
early physical therapy intervention only 2% went on to develop chronic pain. Of those who
did not get early intervention, 15% became chronic pain patients.
Definitions of early intervention in work injury space
In the Worksafe/cover space regarding musculoskeletal conditions and injuries, early intervention is
often referred to as a prevention strategy when a health or safety risk has been identified, or an
incident has occurred, and measures are consequently put in place to either prevent or reduce the
impact of the risk7.
For example, Comcare (the workers compensation insurer for the Australian Government) states
that:
Early intervention is about identifying and responding to warning signs and reports of
accidents and incidents in the workplace…The earlier you notice a worker is experiencing
potential signs of ill health or injury, the sooner you can take steps to help them8.
5 Australian Commonwealth Department of Health,
National Mental Health Policy 2008: Early Intervention [website], 2009,
<https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/mental‐pubs‐n‐pol08‐toc~mental‐pubs‐n‐
pol08‐2~mental‐pubs‐n‐pol08‐2‐4> accessed 12 August 2019.
6 SJ Linton, AL Hellsing & D Andersson, ‘
Department of Occupational Medicine, Orebro Medical Center, Sweden, vol.54, no.
3, 1993, pp. 353‐9, <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8233552> accessed 13 August 2019.
7 Queensland Government, Workplace Health and Safety Electrical Safety Office Workers’ Compensation Regulator,
‘Early
interventions for musculoskeletal disorders’, Workcover Queensland [website], 4 May 2017,
<https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/forms‐and‐resources/webinars/early‐interventions‐for‐musculoskeletal‐disorders>
accessed 12 August 2019.
8 Australian Government Comcare, ‘
Early intervention’, 6 Jun 2014, <https://www.comcare.gov.au/early intervention>
accessed 12 August 2019.
P a g e |
3
Page 3 of 5
FOI 24/25-0380
Comcare website also states that having Early Intervention Rehabilitation systems in place is
important because:
Providing rehabilitation as soon as practicable after an injury or on the request of an injured
employee sets an expectation of an early return to work. This reduces the human and
financial costs associated with workers' compensation claims or other forms of leave. It
demonstrates that the employer values its employees9.
Considering that injury and musculoskeletal disorders led to 90% of serious work compensation
claims in 2014–15, it makes sense that the concept of early intervention is closely aligned with the
workplace10.
Definitions of rehabilitation
The Royal Australian College of Physicians definition of rehabilitation is:
“Rehabilitation Medicine is the diagnosis, assessment and management of an individual with
a disability due to illness or injury. Rehabilitation physicians work with people with a
disability to help them achieve an optimal level of performance and improve their quality of
life”11
.
The National Health Data Dictionary, defines the rehabilitation classification and model of care as:
Care in which the primary clinical purpose or treatment goal is improvement in the
functioning of a patient with an impairment, activity limitation or participation restriction
due to a health condition. The patient will be capable of actively participating12
.
9 Australian Government Comcare,
‘Early intervention – early intervention rehabilitation systems in place [website]’ 4 Nov
2013, https://www.comcare.gov.au/ accessed 13 August.
10 Safe Work Australia, ‘
Disease and injury statistics [website], 20 Sep 2018,
<https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/statistics‐and‐research/statistics/disease‐and‐injuries/disease‐and‐injury‐
statistics> accessed 13 Aug 2019.
11 Royal Australian College of Physicians,
Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine [website], 2019,
<https://www.racp.edu.au/about/college‐structure/australasian‐faculty‐of‐rehabilitation‐medicine
> accessed 13 August
2019. 12 Australian Government Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Canberra,
‘Development of nationally consistent
subacute and non‐acute admitted patient care data definitions and guidelines’, 2013,
<https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/01d815ba‐3d66‐48c9‐a9ec‐aaa5825c19f2/15425.pdf.aspx?inline=true> accessed 12
August 2019.
P a g e |
4
Page 4 of 5
FOI 24/25-0380
Bibliography
AbbVie, ‘Acting Together: A Roadmap for Sustainable Healthcare’,
European Steering Group 2015,
<https://www.abbvie.com/content/dam/abbviecorp/us/desktop/sustainablehealthcare/images/EU‐Call‐To‐
Action.pdf> accessed 12 August 2019.
Australian Commonwealth Department of Health,
National Mental Health Policy 2008: Early Intervention [website],
2009,<https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/mental‐pubs‐n‐pol08‐
toc~mental‐pubs‐n‐pol08‐2~mental‐pubs‐n‐pol08‐2‐4> accessed 12 August 2019.
Australian Government Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Canberra,
‘Development of nationally consistent
subacute and non‐acute admitted patient care data definitions and guidelines’, 2013,
<https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/01d815ba‐3d66‐48c9‐a9ec‐aaa5825c19f2/15425.pdf.aspx?inline=true>
accessed 12 August 2019.
Australian Government Comcare,
‘Early intervention – early intervention rehabilitation systems in place [website]’ 4 Nov
2013, https://www.comcare.gov.au/ accessed 13 August.
Australian Government Comcare, ‘
Early intervention’, 6 Jun 2014, <https://www.comcare.gov.au/early intervention>
accessed 12 August 2019.
Australian Health Professions Australia, ‘Musculoskeletal health’,
Allied Health Professions [website], 2019,
<https://ahpa.com.au/key‐areas/musculoskeletal‐health/> accessed 12 August 2019.
Linton SJ, Hellsing AL & Andersson D, ‘
Department of Occupational Medicine, Orebro Medical Center, Sweden, vol.54, no. 3,
1993, pp. 353‐9, <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8233552> accessed 13 August 2019.
Merriam Webster Dictionary [online], 2019, < https://www.merriam‐webster.com/dictionary/early> accessed 13 August
2019.
Paediatric and Child Health Division, ‘Positon Statement: Early Intervention for Children with Developmental Disabilities’,
Royal Australasian College of Physicians [website], 2013, <https://www.racp.edu.au/docs/default‐
source/advocacy‐library/early‐intervention‐for‐children‐with‐developmental‐disabilities.pdf> accessed 12 August
2019.
Queensland Government, Workplace Health and Safety Electrical Safety Office Workers’ Compensation Regulator,
‘Early
interventions for musculoskeletal disorders’, Workcover Queensland [website], 4 May 2017,
<https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/forms‐and‐resources/webinars/early‐interventions‐for‐musculoskeletal‐
disorders> accessed 12 August 2019.
Royal Australian College of Physicians,
Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine [website], 2019,
<https://www.racp.edu.au/about/college‐structure/australasian‐faculty‐of‐rehabilitation‐medicine
> accessed 13
August 2019.
Safe Work Australia, ‘
Disease and injury statistics [website], 20 Sep 2018,
<https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/statistics‐and‐research/statistics/disease‐and‐injuries/disease‐and‐
injury‐statistics> accessed 13 Aug 2019.
P a g e |
5
Page 5 of 5
