Keynote 1
Dr Benjamin C Amick III
Scientific Director, Institute for Work & Health, Canada
Dr Amick was appointed Scientific Director of the Institute for Work & Health in January 2007. He has been affiliated with the Institute since 1996 as an adjunct scientist and 2002 as a member of the scientific staff. He has served as co-investigator on multiple projects at the Institute.
He is a professor of behavioural sciences and epidemiology at the University of Texas School of Public Health. He completed his PhD in social epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health and a postdoctoral fellowship in chronic disease epidemiology at Yale University.
His research focuses on how to build healthy labour markets through an understanding of how to change policy, organisations, work conditions and the design of occupational health services.
Session title: Work Disability Management: Lessons learned and future directions
Session description: This session will build the case for evidence-based disability management policies and practices, suggesting major directions for the future, focussing on policies and practices that are not only effective in returning workers to work, but in keeping them at work and productive.
Presentation Notes
Keynote 2
Professor Chris J Main
Professor of Clinical Psychology (Pain Management), Keele University, United Kingdom
Professor Main has a longstanding interest in clinical and occupational aspects of musculoskeletal disorders. He has written many scientific papers and book chapters, and developed the biopsychosocial model (in conjunction with Gordon Waddell). He has co-authored several government reports, and the books Living with back pain and The back book. He co-authored the original Yellow Flags monograph in 1997, and co-authored the textbook Pain Management (2nd edition) (2008). He has served on many international committees including the International Association of the Study of Pain (IASP) and the International Society for the Study of Lumbar Spine (ISSLS) and on editorial boards. In 2007 he convened and co-chaired the Decade of the Flags meeting at Keele University.
Session title: Management of musculoskeletal injuries in an occupational setting and effect on improved return to work rates
Session description: This session focuses on perceptions of work (blue flags) and organisational and system factors (black flags) as obstacles to return to work. It also covers strategies for turning these obstacles into opportunities for change in the work environment. Professor Main will highlight the recommendations of the Decade of the Flags Consensus conference (2007, United Kingdom) and launch the monograph to the Australian audience.
Presentation Notes