Straight Outta Workers' Comp Episode 11 - Even More Live from WCI 2025!

Straight Outta Workers’ Comp

Guest(s): Darrell Bruga (Empatha)

Description: In this live podcast from the WCI conference in Orlando on August 19, Mark was joined by Darrell Bruga (Empatha). These two friends reminisced about their common passion for the biopsychosocial treatment approach and its trajectory of adoption over the past 15+ years. Darrell discussed how AI and telehealth will help facilitate broader and more consistent implementation of that whole person recovery mindset. One generation, 20-24 years, is statistically how long new science takes to be actually implemented, and work comp is at about that milestone. His admonition to leaning into objective screening tools and subjective cues during communication is a key way to identify yellow / orange / red psychosocial flags and social determinants of health before they negatively impact the injured worker’s recovery. They finish with Darrell’s 2-3 year future vision.