IAIABC Perspectives

IAIABC Excellence Award 2019: New York’s Virtual Hearings

Perspectives / December 2019

Real Results

resulted in fewer hearings needing to be postponed and rescheduled, which allows for the prompt resolution of claim issues and faster delivery of benefits to injured workers. Claim disputes can delay when injured workers receive the lost wage benefits they rely on to pay their bills and feed their families, so getting them resolved quickly is of the utmost importance to the Board. delivering results for them, by issuing online and in- person surveys to gather feedback to help improve the service. More than 1,500 citizens responded with insight that led to changes such as providing a telephone number to allow for pre-conferencing, simplifying the sign in process for associated cases, and maintaining attorneys’ information so they don’t need to re-enter. Injured workers were among those who responded to the Board’s surveys and shared feedback about their experiences, which was overwhelmingly positive. Here are a just few examples of what they said, which shows how virtual hearings are really working: The Board also took steps to ensure virtual hearings were meeting the needs of participants, and

The Board also promoted virtual hearings to injured workers, law firms andmembers of the business community through events, presentations, email, printed posters and flyers, and created numerous resource materials. Those resources included guides for injured workers, attorneys/licensed representatives, witnesses and other participants, as well as online videos targeting injured workers and attorneys/ licensed representatives. These videos are posted on the Board’s website at wcb.ny.gov/ . For anyone appearing virtually, these videos walk them through the process of logging in and attending the hearing. External stakeholders weren’t the only people who needed training on the new system. Nearly 200 Board employees, including ALJs, Customer Service Representatives and other staff, needed to learn how their jobs were changing ahead of the launch of virtual hearings. Their training continued to evolve as the Board improved on the solution and updated resource materials for staff, as well as external stakeholders, to ensure virtual hearings were smoothly implemented into a system that had been in existence for more than 100 years.

Looking Ahead The Board has continued to find ways to progress the use of virtual hearings. An easy-to-use, free virtual hearings app was developed and is now available in the iOS app store for users with Apple devices. A version for Android devices is currently in development and will be available in the near future. Virtual hearings could also lead to changes outside of New York’s workers’ compensation system. The incredible results they have delivered for the Board and its stakeholders are gaining the attention of many organizations with similar use cases. Several other New York State agencies that conduct hearings have expressed interest in implementing this technology for their own hearing operations. A number of private and public entities have also contacted the Board to inquire about the solution for their stakeholders. “Virtual hearings are a tangible example of the Board’s efforts to build a system that’s better for workers, and better for business,” said Chair Rodriguez, “And now seeing how something we’ve created has the potential to go beyond that scope to positively affect more NewYorkers is immensely gratifying.” Virtual hearings are a tangible example of the Board’s efforts to build a system that’s better for workers, and better for business...

The dedication it took to build and successfully launch virtual hearings has delivered real, positive results for the citizens of NewYork State. The entire effort, from start to finish, showcases NewYork’s commitment to digital government transformation. From the time of launch until September 2019, the Board held nearly 350,000 virtual hearings. In the month of September alone, 56% of hearings had at least one participant attend remotely. That’s up from about 27% in September of 2018. The usage rate is about 1,200 hearings conducted daily involving up to 5,000 users. This technological advancement has shown great success in eliminating the burdens of travel and missed time from work, both for injured workers and employer witnesses, such as supervisors who are called to testify at hearings. It has also enhanced users’ experience through a simple and intuitive design that seamlessly guides participants from check-in, to the virtual waiting room and finally to the virtual hearing. These changes have introduced superior service levels never available before. However, most importantly, virtual hearings have

“It was amazing to not have to suffer the long ride to the actual building.”

“Totally awesome! This should have been invented years ago. Makes attending a meeting pleasurable and does not pose scheduling conflicts.” “I live in Florida. It was such a good experience to be at the hearing through virtual hearing. It saves me money and stress. Thank you.”

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