We are excited to announce WorkWell’s collaboration with the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation on their Building Trust initiative, a multi-faceted effort to increase conversation, thought leadership, research, and best practices to elevate trust as an essential organizing principle for improving healthcare. These are the same principles that are critical for creating a world-class workplace safety program. 

WorkWell was one of just three American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) practices selected to collaborate with ABIM to promote exemplary practices that foster trust and trustworthiness in physical therapy. Dee Daley, WorkWells’ Director of Clinical Practice, and representatives from Kessler Rehab Center and Johns Hopkins participated in an informative Q&A video panel discussion on their highly regarded trust practices.

WorkWell Trust Practice

By providing care at employers’ offices and front-line workspaces, WorkWell physical and occupational therapists break down mistrust in the potentially adversarial relationship between employers (who want their workers to return to work) and employees seeking health services. Having onsite therapists reduces access barriers, familiarizes workers with the services offered, and demonstrates employers’ concern for their employees. The therapist-employee interactions establish relationships and produce increased levels of trust. Why does this build trustworthiness?  Putting patient welfare first and providing access deliver the message of caring and compassion to employees.  

WorkWell’s Dee Daley’s Q&A Session

As part of the APTA presentation and discussion about Building Trust, Dee outlined WorkWell’s onsite clinic vision as it pertains to trust as the blend of health advocacy, evidence-based practice, integrated health and safety, and relationship building. She also discussed the importance of managing employee concerns around the privacy and security of their encounters and how advocacy and relationship building are the bridge between workplace and health. Discussion also offered insight into the value of trust to achieve long-term success and how WorkWell builds trust as the relationship foundation. Additionally, Dee addressed how WorkWell manages trust and steps the team is taking towards continuous improvement.

Kessler Rehab’s presentation of its tele-visit trust practice and Johns Hopkins session on addressing social determinants of health were also enlightening and all three participants offered excellent insight and recommendations to physical therapists wishing to increase trust in their practice / work setting. 

“We are proud to be recognized by the ABIM Foundation and APTA for our work in building trust in workplace safety,” said Karil Reibold, Acting Chief Executive Officer at WorkWell. “Onsite physical therapists focus on preventing work-limiting problems, helping people who often have chronic conditions stay at work, many of whom work long shifts and reside in areas that don’t have readily accessible healthcare. Being onsite enables therapists to take proactive measures to identify injury risks and treat work-related injuries before impacting people’s economic livelihood.”

The Building Trust Framework

The work of Building Trust is critical to improving American healthcare. The patient-physician relationship depends upon patients’ trust that physicians have their best interest at heart, especially during times when patients are particularly vulnerable. Similarly, trust between clinicians and the institutions with and for whom they work is essential to the efficient working of our health care system and ensuring patients get the care they deserve.

The ABIM defines the four dimensions of trust as competency, caring, communication and comfort. Trust practices involve different relationships, including patients and physicians, organizations and patients, clinicians and organizations or clinicians and clinicians.

Congratulations to Dee on her incredibly well articulated illustration of the WorkWell Trust practice and to all the Building Trust Collaborators.