Reed Group Acquires ACOEM's Occupational Medicine Practice Guidelines, Expanding Options for Physicians and Employers

DENVER, April 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Reed Group, the recognized leader in managing employee absence, and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), the nation's largest association of occupational medicine physicians, announced today that Reed Group has acquired ACOEM's Occupational Medicine Practice Guidelines.

Under the new agreement, Reed Group will publish and distribute ACOEM's Practice Guidelines, while ACOEM will continue to provide all of the guidelines' scientific research, content development and methodology. The acquisition will widen the distribution base for the Practice Guidelines, increasing their availability to new audiences while providing access to valuable resources that will benefit current guideline users.

A key benefit of the new partnership is the integration of Reed Group's extensive return-to-work and absence-management strategies and resources for employers with ACOEM's guidelines – a critically important component in the creation of healthier and more productive workplaces.

Totaling more than 2,500 evidence-based recommendations and 15,000 medical literature references, the Practice Guidelines are the industry standard for the effective treatment of occupational injuries and illnesses. Based on unambiguous, meticulous research, the Practice Guidelines are used by a wide range of customers treating workers in the insurance, medical and occupational health industries. 

By integrating treatment guidelines into Reed Group's extensive disability duration, return-to-work, and absence management guidelines, the partnership will bring enhanced value to Reed Group's customers (insurance companies, state governments, third-party administrators, employers and physicians). The ACOEM content will be available through Reed Group's online content platform, allowing customers access to treatment guidelines alongside its other MDGuidelines™ products.

"Reed Group is committed to being the fabric of the absence management industry," said David Roberts, CEO of Reed Group. "We can offer customers content, software, service or a combination of these products to reduce employee absence and increase workforce productivity. ACOEM's evidence-based Practice Guidelines are a perfect complement to our existing products and services. The announcement today demonstrates Reed Group's continued commitment to adding products that help our customers manage all aspects of employee absence."

"The occupational medicine community has long depended on ACOEM's dedication to providing relevant, authoritative, evidence-based practice guidelines," said Barry S. Eisenberg, Executive Director of ACOEM. "Partnering with Reed Group supports and extends the reach of this activity. Our extensive guidelines development process – based on quality scientific evidence, editorial independence and rigorous peer review – will continue, as will our commitment to the development of new guidelines as occupational medicine evolves and changes."

The new publishing model will strengthen Reed Group's MDGuidelines™, a web-based toolkit for absence management and return-to-work recommendations.  ACOEM's physician members will have the option to purchase MDGuidelines™ as a resource for understanding and implementing return-to-work and absence management strategies.

"Reed Group and ACOEM share the same mission: to build healthier employees and workplaces through more effective treatment of work-related injury and illness," Roberts said. "Reed Group will continue to invest to offer our customers the broadest set of products and services improving employee return-to-work outcomes."

For purchasing information about the Practice Guidelines, please visit www.acoem.org/practiceguidelines.aspx. For information on Reed Group's other guidelines products, please visit http://www.mdguidelines.com. For information about other Reed Group software and service products, please visit www.reedgroup.com.  

About Reed Group
Reed Group, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, is the recognized leader in helping organizations reduce the cost, compliance risk and complexity of employee absence. Our products and services address FMLA, ADA, state and other leave laws, workers' compensation, and short- and long-term disability programs. Headquartered in Westminster, Colorado, Reed Group has been a trusted partner to employers, insurers, TPAs, government organizations, attorneys, and health care providers for over 35 years. Reed Group's world-class team of clinical and absence management experts help organizations deploy Reed Group products and services to improve employee health and productivity. For more information, visit www.reedgroup.com.

About ACOEM
The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) represents more than 4,000 physicians specializing in occupational and environmental medicine. Founded in 1916, ACOEM is the nation's largest medical society dedicated to promoting the health of workers through preventive medicine, clinical care, disability management, research, and education. For more information, visit www.acoem.org.

SOURCE Reed Group