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BackgroundIn Hong Kong, the Employees' Compensation Ordinance (ECO), based on the model of the English Workmen's Compensation Act 1943, establishes a no-fault, non-contributory system for work injuries. It focuses merely on the minimum social expectation in compensating injured workers in monetary terms, but does not place much emphasis on prevention, rehabilitation and return to work policies for workers with injury. There is a need to reform an effective and comprehensive occupational rehabilitation system for workers with work injury in Hong Kong.MethodsThis paper presents a case study of a worker with work injury undergoing occupational rehabilitation through services provided in the local community setting by the Hong Kong Workers' Health Centre.ResultsThe case study highlights some crucial factors and/or intervention modalities in facilitating workers' return to work, including timely intervention, work-site based rehabilitation, communication among different stakeholders, dynamics of company, rehabilitation counselling, community integration and individualized work resettlement.ConclusionWithout reviewing and revamping the current ECO, the goal to provide timely and effective occupational rehabilitation services for workers with injury could not be fully achieved.

Type

Journal article

Journal

Work (Reading, Mass.)

Publication Date

01/2008

Volume

30

Pages

5 - 9

Addresses

Hong Kong Workers Health Centre, Hong Kong SAR, China. elaine@hkwhc.org.hk

Keywords

Humans, Rehabilitation, Vocational, Accidents, Occupational, Adult, Community Health Centers, Organizational Case Studies, Case Management, Hong Kong, Male