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Health Care Provider Advisory Committee
Meeting Minutes for October 16, 2009
Crowne Plaza
Madison WI.
 

Present: Mary Jo Capodice MD, Frances Huntley-Cooper,  Maja Jurisic MD, Steven Kirkhorn MD, Mike Lischak MD, Jeff Lyne DC, Karen Pease, Jennifer Seidl, Ron Stark MD and Sri Vasudevan MD,

Excused:  David Bryce MD, Gina Buono MD, Amanda Gilliland, Barbara Janusiak, and Peter Schubbe,

Staff present: Joy Schmitt and Jim O'Malley

Observers:

1. Call to Order:   The Health Care Providers Advisory Committee (HCPAC) meeting was called to order by Frances Huntley-Cooper at approximately 10:15 AM in accordance with Wisconsin’s open meetings law.
   
   Members of the HCPAC and Department staff introduced themselves.  Karen Pease was introduced as the newest member of the HCPAC.
     
   Copies of the current Worker’s Compensation Act of Wisconsin were distributed. The worker’s compensation treatment guidelines are on pages 161-217.
   
2. Approval of Minutes:  The minutes of the May 16 , 2008 meeting were unanimously approved without correction.
    
3. Treatment Guildeine Clarification and Update:  There was a discussion about the scope of the treatment guidelines.  Jim O’Malley stated that the purpose of the treatment guidelines was to establish factors for an impartial health care services review organization and a member from a panel of experts to consider in rendering opinions to resolve necessity of treatment disputes. The Department has not noticed significant use of the treatment guidelines to date.
   
 
4. Principles for Guidelines:  Mike Lischak made a motion to add the following sentence to s. DWD 81.01 (1) (c);
   
   “The treatment guidelines can be used for necessity of treatment determinations, and the provider can deviate from the guideline, but the burden of proof is on the provider who must have justification to deviate from the guideline.”
   
   Steven Kirkhorn offered a friendly amendment to place this sentence in DWD 81.01 (1) (b). The motion was tabled after it was moved by Sri Vasudevan and seconded by Steven Kirkhorn.

 
5. Section for Lower Back Pain:   Jennifer Seidl made a motion to strike DWD 81.06 (1) (k) 4. The motion was seconded by Steven Kirkhorn.  Discussion of the motion focused on this not referring to the type of assessment done throughout the course of treatment to evaluate effectiveness. This does not refer to the assessment of function done throughout the course of treatment to gauge effectiveness or establish a plan of care. The motion to strike (delete) DWD 81.06 (1) (k) 4 passed.  
   
   Mike Lischak distributed two (2) papers entitled, “Imaging Guidelines for Low Back Pain Secondary to Work Injury”, prepared by a work group from the Wisconsin Medical Society,  and ” Diagnosis and Treatment of Low Back Pain: A Joint Clinical Practice Guideline from the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society”.  
   
   Mike Lischak made a motion to accept the work group paper from the Wisconsin Medial Society as recommendations for amending the low back pain imaging guidelines in DWD 81.05 (2), and to adopt the other paper as guidelines for low back treatment that will supersede or replace the current guidelines. The motion was seconded by Ron Stark.  Maja Jurisic offered the following friendly amendment related to imaging;  
   
       “In the absence of significant trauma imaging studies are indicated only after a period of conservative therapy.”
    
6. Future Meeting:  The next meeting will be scheduled on February 19, 2010.
   
   
7. Adjournment:   It was moved by Mary Jo Capodice and seconded by Steven Kirkhorn to adjourn. The motion passed. The meeting was adjourned at approximately 1:55PM.