I’ve been working to develop calculators and search engines that are easier to use, easier to understand, and make them available to everyone for less than my competitors. One benefit to doing it all myself is that I can innovate faster than anyone else. For instance, my wildly popular Ogilvie calculator was available to beta testers just days after the Ogilvie case came out.
But, this new calculator is something entirely new. Tantalized? Titilated? Tremulous?
It is strongly encouraged you take the EAMS survey
The Division of Workers’ Compensation has posted a link to an EAMS survey. I noticed a lot of fliers around the Oakland District office of the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board for this survey in the last few weeks.
Having taken the survey, I’m not optimistic its going to do anyone any good. My problem with the survey is the inherent question bias.
Several of the survey questions deal with the availability and efficacy of EAMS training resources. Take it from someone who actually designs software user interfaces – if people don’t like the user interface or the way your software works, they will either not use it or try to find ways around it. The only viable solution is to design a system that doesn’t need a lot of training and explanation.
This is really shows the engineering perspective on the problem. Once engineers have designed the system, its up to the user to read the manual and figure it all out. The problem is not sufficient education, training, and understanding. People are not suddenly going toembrace EAMS because now they understand how it works.
While its more work to comb through open ended responses from users, at least those answers will be more representative of their opinions. Take the final question, for example: “Please identify the top 3 improvements that you would like to see in EAMS . Please choose three and rank them in order of priority.” Your only choices are:
Completing the OCR forms (formatting issues)
Completing the OCR forms (ambiguity re: required information)
Completing the OCR forms (technical issues)
Document processing times at the WCAB offices
WCAB clerks’ lack of knowledge regarding EAMS
Availability of EAMS information and documents when appearing at the WCAB for hearings.
Procedural inconsistencies amongst WCAB offices
Too much paper
Too few forms available online
Cover sheet / Separator Sheet
Limited availability of EAMS Access for external users
Limited amount of information available on public search
Assistance with EAMS forms from DWC call center
Other
This can’t possibly be an exhaustive list of user concerns with EAMS. What other EAMS related issues do you perceive?
The Ogilvie mathematical proof has been available for several weeks for peer review. I’ve only received positive feedback.2 The above Ogilvie Adjustment Chart has been testing by myself and other workers’ compensation attorneys, but like everything else on this site is provided subject to all legal disclaimers.
I think we can dispense with the caption, just this once...
A defense attorney friend of mine called me up yesterday to say (I’m paraphrasing here), “You jackass. Thanks to your Ogilvie proof every Applicant’s attorney I know is calling me up, gloating, and asking for 18 points on top of the whole person impairment on every case! Why the hell did you do that???”1 My first thought was of my favorite quote from Swingers.2 What I actually said was something along the lines of:
It’s not like CAAA wouldn’t have found out about Ogilvie if it wasn’t for Jay Shergill mentioning it in a blog post.
For the moment, let’s set aside the issue of whether California’s injured workers have gotten a raw deal since SB899. Suppose there’s an injured worker with a finger injury, stays on temporary disability for two years, and is immediately made permanent and stationary. If instead they get a 0% WPI, they get nothing. If they gets a 1% WPI, Ogilvie tells us this person gets a DFEC adjusted WPI of 19%.
Nearly every litigated case involves an extended period of temporary disability and a whole person impairment less than 45.4Ogilvie effectively removes the first 18% permanent partial disability levels.
I really don’t think the WCAB intended this consequence. Don’t get upset with me – as long as Ogilvie is the law I might as well make Ogilvie calculations easy for you, right?5
Broken calculators? Nothing a little duct tape won't fix...
Yesterday from about noon to 4pm the server which hosts this website (and many others) was down. This unfortunately lead to an interruption for which I apologize.1 During this time I was unable to send/receive emails and the website was unavailable.
The hosting company I use is very good. When there’s been downtime it normally occurs during non-peak hours and is very short in duration. This was an anomaly.
Anyhow, everything is back on line and open for business.
A few weeks ago I posted about how swearing can reduce pain.1 If you thought that was unbelievable, read on:
Researchers at University of Rochester Medical Center have apparently found that the dye in blue M&M’s can lessen the secondary effects of spinal injuries.2 Those mice that received the injections of this blue dye recovered the ability to walk, and those without the injections did not. The only side effect reported was, I kid you not, that the mice turned blue.
You can’t make this stuff up. Anyhow, here’s the first ten jokes that occurred to me after reading that article:
The blue M&M’s replaced the tan M&M’s in 1995 when it was discovered the tan ones caused spinal injuries.3
Not to be outdone, Skittles researchers report their candies allow you to pee unicorns.
The WCAB has now issued another en banc opinion that the office candy jar constitutes the rendering of first aid.
*Disclaimer: This study was funded by The Great Pumpkin, the Easter Bunny, and the Mars Corporation.
It has now been discovered that the members of the Blue Man Group are impervious to spinal injuries.
…and that’s why the Smurfs have the lowest workers’ compensation premiums on the Cartoon Network.
Researchers also found that it was the blue dye in Viagra, not sildenafil citrate, that helped with erectile dysfunction.
The legislature has amended Labor Code 4604.5(d)(1) to allow a maximum of 24 ounces of M&M’s per industrial injury.
“Your honor, under Braewood v. WCAB (Bolton), Defendants must authorize the blue M&M’s in order to treat the underlying industrial condition.”
The Governor has added a new ballot measure that would replace the California MPN system with a new M&M based system.
Since updating this website to WordPress v2.8 in the middle of June they’ve released two additional security updates. Unfortunately, the latest update also required a little extra tinkering and work on my part. I look on constant security fixes for this fantastic (free!) open source software as a small price to pay for increased security.
Again, the calculators should all be completely impervious to changes in the WordPress program itself. However, its theoretically possible you might notice a little weirdness in how the website looks/acts. If so, please drop me a line and let me know so I can take a look.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled rating…
One has to wonder which would have given Kafka a bigger headache – MPN’s or voice mail message systems. 12 Finding a medical provider within an MPN is no walk in the park. 3
I get frustrated when I need to find a medical provider within an MPN. If I’m very lucky, I get lost in a maze of badly laid out pages or meaningless search screens. If I’m not so lucky the MPN website has changed, moved, or no longer exists.
Anyhow, I wanted to extend a “thank you” to all the users of this website who help me maintain my Medical Provider Network website page. It seems like just about every week some kind person sends me a new MPN website link or updated MPN password. 4
I think I dislike voice mail message systems more… [↩]
