The economic value of automotive occupational health services: business metrics for performance management.

General Motors (GM) investigated the financial impact of their occupational health clinics located within their automotive plants, creating a comparison between plants. This allows the firm to make business decisions regarding services offered and responsibilities assigned to the clinics. GM-developed codes were mapped to CPT codes and clinics were surveyed and observed for other duties. Formulas were developed to value the services provided in clinics. The estimated utilization and dollar value of occupational health services provided by each clinic were compared and ranked to establish internal benchmarks. The results show a significant assumption of nonclinical but essential duties by clinic staff, especially by physicians. This information has positioned GM to manage their clinic staff and responsibilities in concert with automotive operations.