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UVa’s Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation now offers a Disability Evaluation Service as a resource for the medical and legal communities as well as for government agencies in the mid-Atlantic region. The Disability Evaluation Service provides medical consultation and management, bringing the skills of the physician to bear on difficult disability and work-related injury issues. These Services include:
Evaluation and Management of Work-Related Injuries
This area covers the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of work-related injuries involving the musculoskeletal system-including back, neck, shoulder and other injuries. Injuries are evaluated from a physical and a functional standpoint, so that treatment can focus on return-to-work strategies. The UVa service takes an active approach, with emphasis on designing a program for functional recovery and prevention of further injury.
Independent Medical Examinations (IMEs)
IMEs are specifically requested, typically by attorneys or insurance companies. Their purpose is to provide a comprehensive review and evaluation of the treatment of an individual’s condition, as well as pinpointing specific areas of physical impairment or deficit. The UVa evaluation service physician will relate the impairment and associated disabilities to recommendations regarding appropriate work conditions and activities for the individual. This service also reviews and recommends treatment programs as well as addressing prognosis.
Disability Evaluations
This service provides a comprehensive history and physical examination of an individual that is designed to identify physical impairment and associated disabilities and how they relate to the individual’s ability to perform work.
Medical/Legal Consultation
This service entails an evaluation or consultation in which there is particular legal ramifications associated with medical decision-making. The emphasis is on supportable medical conclusions and may involve examination and/or medical record review. Examples of areas in which this service can provide substantive consulting services are situations in which an injury is associated with an accident or involves workmen’s compensation litigation.
Record Review and Opinion Letter Service
This service provides a review of a patient’s medical records and furnishes an explanation of information contained therein, particularly by describing the information in accordance with a logical sequence of events. The purpose of this is for the client to be able to draw clear and reasonable medical conclusions based on what is contained in the records. This service is especially helpful when a clinical picture is unclear secondary to conflicting reports or opinions.
For more information about the Disability Evaluation Service at UVa, call
Dr. Alan P. Alfano at (434) 243-5656.
From: Clinical minutes From the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the UVa Medical Center, November 1996
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