Background
Methods
Document selection
Categorisation and coding
Coding and counting process
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Coding for Type of Policy: First, each policy was coded as either ‘treatment’ or ‘non-treatment’. Treatment was defined as any type of treatment, medicine or surgery applied to an individual to physically or psychologically treat the injury. Non-treatment was defined as provision of services or equipment, not directly related to physical or psychological treatment.
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Coding for Type of Information: Next, words, sentences and phrases referring to a ‘type of information’ were coded to describe the type of information referenced. Eight types of information were identified:
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Academic/Scientific Research Evidence: references to published, peer reviewed academic or scientific research evidence or actual citations of published, peer reviewed academic or scientific research evidence.
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Internal Legislation: references to the Transport Accident Act 1986, or references to specific sections of the Act.
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External Legislation: references to acts or regulations other than the Transport Accident Act 1986.
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Internal Policy: references to TAC policies.
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External Policy: references to policies from government agencies (excluding the TAC) and references to policies from professional organisations.
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Clinical/Medical Evidence: references to medical certificates, medical advice, any reference to evidence or information justifying the need for treatment or non-treatment services provided by any medical/clinical practitioner.
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Costs Evidence: references to receipts and other physical evidence of money spent on treatments or non-treatment services.
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Other Evidence: references to evidence or information that were not clearly defined, for example ‘objective evidence’.
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Coding for Information Purpose: Finally, each ‘type of information’ code was then coded for information purpose. That is, each reference to information was identified as either ‘supporting policy development’ or ‘supporting claims decision-making’. The code ‘supporting policy development’ meant the purpose for reference to information was to validate the need for the policy. In contrast, the code ‘supporting claims decision-making’ meant the purpose for reference to information was to support compensation payment decisions made by TAC claim managers. Words and sentences surrounding coded references to information that described the purpose were used to identify ‘information purpose’.
Inter-rater analysis
Data analysis
Results
Information type | Frequency (% total) of | N (%) policies that | Median (range) of reference |
---|---|---|---|
reference to information | reference information | to information per policy | |
Internal policy
|
1133 (47.5)
|
124 (96.9)
|
6 (0–36)
|
Clinical/Medical evidence
|
519 (21.8)
|
108 (84.4)
|
2.5 (0–28)
|
Internal legislation
|
203 (8.5)
|
122 (95.3)
|
1 (0–11)
|
Other evidence
|
175 (7.3)
|
88 (68.7)
|
1 (0–13)
|
External policy
|
245 (10.3)
|
63 (49.2)
|
0 (0–24)
|
External legislation
|
58 (2.4)
|
22 (17.2)
|
0 (0–16)
|
Academic/Scientific research
|
50 (2.1)
|
30 (23.4)
|
0 (0–7)
|
Total
|
2383 (100.0)
|
128 (100.0)
|
15.5 (0–67)
|
Information type | Supporting policy development | Supporting claims decision-making | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Frequency (% total) of reference to information | N (% total) policies that reference information | Median (range) references per policy | Frequency (% total) of reference to information | N (% total) policies that reference information | Median (range) references per policy | P Value | |
Internal policy
|
309 (51.5)
|
91 (72.8)
|
1 (0–27)
|
823 (46.2)
|
112 (93.3)
|
4.5 (0–35)
|
p = <0.001
|
Clinical/Medical evidence
|
25 (4.2)
|
19 (15.2)
|
0 (0–3)
|
493 (27.6)
|
103 (85.8)
|
2 (0–28)
|
p < =0.001
|
Internal legislation
|
150 (25.0)
|
115 (92.0)
|
1 (0–11)
|
55 (3.1)
|
32 (26.7)
|
0 (0–4)
|
p < =0.001
|
Other evidence
|
25 (4.2)
|
14 (11.2)
|
0 (0–5)
|
150 (8.4)
|
83 (69.2)
|
1 (0–13)
|
p < =0.001
|
External policy
|
53 (8.8)
|
19 (15.2)
|
0 (0–15)
|
192 (10.8)
|
55 (45.8)
|
0 (0–18)
|
p < =0.001
|
External legislation
|
31 (5.2)
|
13 (10.4)
|
0 (0–16)
|
27 (1.5)
|
14 (11.7)
|
0 (0–5)
|
p = 0.592
|
Academic/Scientific research
|
7 (1.2)
|
4 (3.2)
|
0 (0–3)
|
43 (2.4)
|
29 (24.2)
|
0 (0–5)
|
p = <0.001
|
Total
|
600 (100.0)
|
125 (100.0)
|
3 (0–52)
|
1783 (100.0)
|
120 (100.0)
|
11 (0–65)
|
p = < 0.001
|
Information type | Non-treatment policies | Treatment policies | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Frequency (% total) of reference to information | N (% total) policies that reference information | Median (range) references per policy | Frequency (% total) of reference to information | N (% total) policies that reference information | Median (range) references per policy | P Value | |
Internal policy
|
579 (47.7)
|
59 (93.6)
|
6 (0–35)
|
554 (47.4)
|
65 (100.0)
|
6 (1–36)
|
p = 0.785
|
Clinical/Medical evidence
|
214 (17.6)
|
49 (77.8)
|
2 (0–25)
|
305 (26.1)
|
59 (90.8)
|
3 (0–28)
|
p = 0.029
|
Internal legislation
|
115 (9.5)
|
57 (90.5)
|
1 (0–11)
|
88 (7.5)
|
65 (100.0)
|
1 (1–7)
|
p = 0.017
|
Other evidence
|
106 (8.7)
|
43 (68.2)
|
1 (0–13)
|
69 (5.9)
|
45 (69.2)
|
1 (0–3)
|
p = 0.279
|
External policy
|
138 (11.4)
|
28 (44.4)
|
0 (0–24)
|
107 (9.1)
|
35 (53.8)
|
1 (0–17)
|
p = 0.415
|
External legislation
|
52 (4.3)
|
18 (28.6)
|
0 (0–16)
|
6 (0.5)
|
4 (6.15)
|
0 (0–2)
|
p = 0.001
|
Academic/Scientific research
|
10 (0.8)
|
6 (9.5)
|
0 (0–5)
|
40 (3.4)
|
24 (36.9)
|
0 (0–7)
|
p = <0.001
|
Total
|
1214 (100.0)
|
63 (100.0)
|
13 (0–58)
|
1169 (100.0)
|
65 (100.0)
|
16 (3–67)
|
p = 0.852
|