Pathways: Setting goals, building trust, accelerating recovery

Opportunity

The Pathways Project will pilot a digital readiness and goal-setting platform, Pathways, with the aim to improve outcomes for life-insured customers experiencing mental ill-health while on income protection claims. This project responds to the sector-identified need for those on claims to set meaningful personal goals and increase autonomy through the recovery journey. The platform integrates digital Decision Aid and goal-setting models to support trust and shared planning between claimants, insurers, and rehabilitation providers.

A partnership between Workcom, TAL, USyd, and DHCRC will guide research, co-design, and pilot implementation. The project aims to strengthen customer satisfaction with life, facilitate access to early intervention, and enhance confidence in rehabilitation planning. Findings will help to inform a scalable, evidence-based solution with potential for national adoption across the Life Insurance Sector.

Project Objectives

• Understand the drivers of poor outcomes in mental health claims, where complexity, delayed engagement, and unrecognised psychosocial barriers often remain obscured.
• Co-design the Pathways platform in partnership with health consumers, insurance sector and rehabilitation service providers to ensure the platform is accessible and aligned with the real-world needs of users navigating recovery and insurance systems.
• Evaluate the usability, relevance, and acceptability of the Pathways platform to ensure a high-quality, user-centred interface.
• Assess the impact of the Pathways platform on claimants’ confidence and skills, with a focus on improving their ability to participate and navigate their recovery and health, rehabilitation, and the claims journey effectively.
• Examine perceived outcomes for claimants including improvements in emotional wellbeing, satisfaction with services, and progress toward work goals from the Pathways pilot.