Transportation, Translation, and Access to Care: Why Logistics Are Ethical Decisions

In workers’ compensation, transportation and translation are often viewed as routine tasks. Schedule a ride. Book an interpreter. Check the box and move on.

But these decisions are more than administrative.

They are ethical decisions, because they directly affect safety, understanding, dignity, and outcomes for the injured worker.

Transportation Is About Safety

If an injured worker cannot safely get to medical care, then access to care does not truly exist.
Selecting the right type of transportation matters:

• An injured worker who can walk independently may be fine in a standard sedan.
• Someone using a wheelchair requires a wheelchair-accessible vehicle.
• A worker experiencing severe pain, dizziness, post-surgical limitations, or mobility restrictions may need a stretcher, medical escort, or additional assistance.

When transportation does not match the injured worker’s physical condition, the consequences can be serious. A worker may struggle getting in or out of a vehicle, risk reinjury, or ultimately miss appointments altogether. These missteps delay recovery, increase claim costs, and, most importantly, put the injured worker at risk.

Transportation is not just about getting from Point A to Point B.

It is about ensuring the injured worker arrives safely, with dignity, and ready to receive care.

Avoiding "Autopilot" Care: Ethical Oversight in Long-Term and Legacy Claims

Ethics is about doing the right thing for the injured worker, not just following routines.

When care stays on autopilot:

• Injured workers may receive care that no longer helps them.
• Important changes in condition can be missed.
• Emotional or social needs may be ignored.
• Costs grow without improving recovery.

That’s not good for the worker or the claim.

Read More >>

Sign Up for CE Webinar Alerts >>

EVENTS

	Jan. 28, 2026 Webinar The Ethical Path to Recovery: Better Decisions, Better Outcomes Register Today!
	March 3 – 4, 2026 WCRI Conference Boston, MA
View All Events

The 60-Second Reset

Before your next task:

• Sit back
• Put both feet on the floor
• Take one slow breath in through your nose
• Breathe out longer than you breathed in

Do this twice.

No one knows. It takes a minute. It works.

The "What Just Happened?" Brain Dump

Open a blank note.
Type three things:

• What happened
• What you did
• What’s next

Then close it.

Your brain stops looping when it sees the story written down.

Change the Scene (Just a Little)

• Stand up
  Refill your water
  Look out a window
  Walk to a different room

You don’t need a break. You need a reset signal.

The Post-Call Face Reset

After a tense call, your face stays tense.
Try this:

• Drop your shoulders
• Unclench your jaw
• Relax your tongue

Yes, this sounds strange. It works anyway.

The "Not Mine to Carry" Reminder

Say this quietly (or loudly, if you’re alone):

“I handled what I could. The rest isn’t mine.”

You care. That’s good.
But you don’t have to carry everything.

One Small Win

Before moving on, name one thing you did right:

• You stayed calm
• You explained clearly
• You documented well
• You escalated appropriately

Wins count, even small ones.

Point of Care
Solutions that
Meet Your Needs

MTI America's 360-degree approach to care delivers a comprehensive set of ancillary services to insurers, self-insured employers and TPAs and offers quick coordination with a quality focus.