About the SPICE Model

WorkCare’s occupational medicine practitioners adhere to the SPICE model of diagnosis and treatment. The SPICE model traces its origins to military applications and the medical management of soldiers experiencing post-traumatic stress disorders after World War I.

The SPICE approach emphasizes:

• Simplicity. We recognize that benign conditions tend to escalate when they are labeled and treated in a complicated fashion.
• Proximity. We know that maintaining close ties to the workplace enhances a worker’s physical and mental health during treatment and recovery.
• Immediacy. We observe that early invention helps keep minor complaints minor.
• Centrality. We believe all involved parties benefit when they share the common goal of return to work as soon it is medically safe to do so.
• Expectancy. We find individuals often fulfill whatever expectations are placed on them.

The SPICE model addresses common confounders, for example:

• Injuries that should quickly resolve drag on for months, or even years.
• Long-term cases conclude with large settlements.
• Two employees with the same injury and same biology have significantly different cost outcomes depending on how they are initially treated.
• Psychosocial factors influence claims costs, but adjusters and employers usually do not change or enhance their processes to accommodate these factors.

The SPICE model facilitates return to health and function. Employees are encouraged to report injuries and complaints of physical discomfort at onset – before they become workers’ compensation claims. SPICE is part of a total employee health management strategy that encourages individuals to take control of their own health and well-being with support from their employers.