Clinical Panel

Comcare's Clinical Panel carries out clinical reviews and provides clinical support to our Claims Services Officers (CSOs). The Clinical Panel may also provide professional support and advice to healthcare providers treating employees with a claim.

The Panel is made up of experienced medical and allied healthcare professionals including:

• Medical practitioners
• Physiotherapists
• Pharmacists
• Psychologists.

Medical and allied healthcare professionals working at Comcare provide clinical advice to help with claims management and improve decision-making. They play an important role in making sure our employees with a claim receive the most appropriate treatment for their injury—consistent with industry best practice.

Clinical Panel reviews focus on making sure treatments are clinically justified and aim to improve return to work and health outcomes. Clinical justification is described in more detail in the Clinical Framework. Reviews may include phone conversations between the treating healthcare provider and Panel member about an employee's current and future treatments. If an agreement cannot be reached, the employee with a claim may need to attend an independent medical examination.

The Clinical Panel provides recommendations to CSOs after completing a review.

As part of the clinical review process, the Panel member will ask healthcare providers to supply information about an employee with a claim. If you are responding to one of our requests the following information may be helpful:

• Clinical Panel reviews are a cooperative and collaborative process between treating healthcare providers and Comcare's Clinical Panel members.
• Employees with a claim are informed that Clinical Panel involvement is a normal and expected aspect of managing their claim.