Author Archives: Tasworkdoc

About Tasworkdoc

As an occupational physician in private medical practice in Hobart, Tasmania - the southernmost state of Australia, I see workers referred by their general practitioners with various types of work-related injuries and diseases. These are mostly musculoskeletal injuries, both of traumatic and gradual onset as well as various associated psychological disorders. With interaction with patients for treatment and providing advice about rehabilitation, I have the opportunity, first-hand, to observe interactions between individual patients and compensation systems. I also conduct independent medical assessments, including impairment assessments for musculoskeletal injuries and asbestos-related disease compensation. This provides another perspective of workers within compensation systems.

BURNOUT is an Occupational Disease!

Posted on August 9, 2022 by Tasworkdoc

Our health care systems in Australia have faced enormous challenges in recent years. The challenges posed by COVID-19 have received much of the attention since 2020, but even before many health care systems were stretched. Prior to COVID, in my … Continue reading →

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Commodification of Medical Records – An adverse trend?

Posted on April 18, 2021 by Tasworkdoc

Over the last 10 years or so I have witnessed a significant upward trend in requests for the provision of complete copies of medical files from a third-party i.e. a party outside the primary doctor:patient relationship. I have previously written … Continue reading →

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MISSION OBFUSCATION

Posted on January 13, 2021 by Tasworkdoc

Is there a consensus about the vision and purpose of worker’s compensation schemes? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary Obfuscate means – ” to make it so that it isn’t clear or transparent, much like dirty water makes it hard to … Continue reading →

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Communication, Communication, Communication – Bridging the Divide of Adversarialism

Posted on August 30, 2020 by Tasworkdoc

COVID19 & Co-operation I have completed, at least for this weekend, my Tasmanian winter time duty of replenishing our household firewood supply, splitting delivered firewood logs – using a powered log splitter nowadays. While working at that task, I have … Continue reading →

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Literature Review – Upper Limb Pain and Computer Employment – the question of bias!

Posted on February 24, 2020 by Tasworkdoc

In my October 2018 article Time to Revisit “RSI”, I referred to a literature review I had conducted. What the review highlighted was the need to try and replicate some Danish studies that suggested many cases of upper limb pain … Continue reading →

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Glass, Sugar and Rising Sea Levels!

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Tasworkdoc

Another year draws to a close. What can we learn from the world to enhance workplace health and avoid adding insult to injury? Here is my philosophical take at year’s close. A month ago Deborah Glass declared elements of the … Continue reading →

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Split down the middle! – AAT decisions about upper limb pain and its relationship to computer employment

Posted on September 26, 2019 by Tasworkdoc

In my article late last year, Time to Revisit “RSI”, I referred to several legal decisions in the AAT relevant to this subject, concluding that not a lot had changed since the 1990’s in relation to the confusion that exists … Continue reading →

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Justice AND Harm Minimisation – is that possible? – medical file access by summons or subpoena

Posted on July 11, 2019 by Tasworkdoc

Carver and Comcare I recently published an article, Privacy of Medical Records – What does a recent AAT decision mean for patients and doctors? in the new O.M.I.T. (Occupational Medicine in Tasmania) newsletter. The article refers to a recent AAT decision … Continue reading →

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Surveillance Yet Again!

Posted on November 16, 2018 by Tasworkdoc

  I don’t think much has really changed since I wrote an article about surveillance entitled Sharp Focus or Blunt Instrument on this site in 2014. This article discussed the potential for harm from video surveillance of personal injury and workers … Continue reading →

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What’s happening at the Frontline?

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Tasworkdoc

    The Tasmanian Minister for Primary Industries, Building & Construction and Veteran’s Affairs, Guy Barnett recently announced in a Media Release about PTSD Reform “that Tasmania will become the first jurisdiction in Australia to legislate a presumptive provision for workers … Continue reading →

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