GUELPH, ON, Nov. 9 - The Co-operators has partnered with WorldCare International, Inc. to research medical second opinions (MSOs) for mental health. The first phase of the partnership’s study explored the service with participants who were on disability leave for mental health conditions and showed very promising results. 90% of the participants received a new treatment recommendation, 30% fully returned to work or are gradually returning to work, and 50% experienced improvements in their daily lives.

The results of the first phase suggest that MSOs offer improved treatment options and help people shift to a better quality of life and eventually return to work. Now, The Co‑operators and WorldCare begin the next phase, which will study volunteer plan members with diagnosed mental health conditions. The research will help define long-term viability and identify patterns in service needs.

“Getting a psychiatric evaluation and recommendation opinion can take many months,” says Dr. Richard Heinzl, Global Medical Director at WorldCare. “Our service provides access to psychiatrists in a matter of days. It works in a complementary way with the Canadian healthcare system by supporting referring physicians and their patients who need sub-specialists like adolescent and child psychiatrists, as well as people in remote and underserved areas of Canada.”

 “This is another example of how The Co-operators is working on innovative solutions to support plan sponsors and their employees,” said Conor Quinn, vice president of Group Benefits Insurance with The Co‑operators. “A mentally healthy workplace is good for business; but just as importantly, it provides people with the skills, information and services to support mental health at home and in their communities.”

The second phase of research is available to identified plan sponsors of The Co-operators group benefits. Through this partnership, plan members can get MSOs from experts in mental health at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital’s Psychiatry Program and its affiliated McLean Hospital. Together the hospitals have 60 specialty clinical and research programs that address virtually every aspect of psychiatric disorders, including child and adolescent psychiatry.

About The Co-operators:
The Co-operators Group Limited is a Canadian co-operative with more than $42.5 billion in assets under administration. Through its group of companies, it offers home, auto, life, group, travel, commercial and farm insurance, as well as investment products. The Co-operators is well known for its community involvement and its commitment to sustainability. The Co-operators is listed among the Best Employers in Canada by Aon Hewitt and Corporate Knights' Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada. For more information, visit www.cooperators.ca

About WorldCare Inc.

WorldCare's mission is to improve healthcare outcomes of members worldwide by connecting them to the foremost medical experts at top-ranked U.S. hospitals. WorldCare fulfills its mission by using a unique virtual medical guidance approach, which digitally recreates the experience of a person walking into the leading medical institutions in the United States, providing the highest-touch coaching, medical second opinions available worldwide. For more information, visit www.worldcare.com.