What is the Process of an Independent Medical Examination?
Undergoing an independent medical examination can seem like a complex and overwhelming process for your client, particularly when it’s unfamiliar to them or they’re not sure what to expect. An IME can provide a thorough summary of your client’s medical condition from a non-biased and impartial standpoint. In this blog, we’ve outlined the basics of the Medico-Legal realm and how your client can navigate the Independent Medical Examination process with simplicity and ease.
What is an Independent Medical Evaluation (IME)?
When your client presents you with a debilitating medical condition and is applying for compensation, whether through a workplace accident, unfortunate injury, motor vehicle accident or a case of medical negligence, they will need a report outlining the factual status of their condition. This will need to be assessed by a specialist within the field most relevant to their injury, who will perform a medical evaluation to produce a Medicolegal Report. The purpose of outsourcing a non-bias specialist to assess your patient is to receive an accurate report outlining their current condition in order to favour the truth.
What is the process of an IME?
An IME usually follows the same process for each client. Assisting your client in understanding this process may make them feel at ease and know what to expect before they arrive.
The first step would be to schedule the appointment. Your client will be notified of their appointment through their lawyer/insurer. Azure also sends through a reminder text just before the appointment. During this process, you will select the specialist to assess your client. The selected specialist must be relevant to your client’s injury and be a stranger to the client, meaning they have never been clinically involved with the client, or know them personally.
To prepare for the examination, Azure will need all relevant documentation sent through for the specialist to read through prior to the appointment. This documentation can include anything that is relevant to their current status, such as medical records, treatment history, any medical imaging, etc. This will assist the specialist in completely understanding the patient’s condition.
When your client arrives for their assessment, they will fill out a form, detailing their current status, personal details and medical history. This form assists the doctor during the examination in assessing in the correct order. When the patient enters the room with the doctor, they will spend the first bit of time going through the previously filled out form. The doctor will go through and discuss what the patient has written down. From there, the specialist will do a review of the patient’s history. This usually includes details of the injury, medications, symptoms, etc. Most specialists will then perform a physical examination. This test will evaluate if their injury/condition has affected their ability to perform daily tasks such as walking. Depending on the condition presented, this can also include checks for pain, swelling, range of motion, reflexes, etc.
It is important that during the entire appointment, the client remains honest and open with the specialist, to provide the most accurate report.
The specialist then completes the report, detailing all discussed during the assessment. At Azure, we have a well-equipped quality assurance team that will then go through the report and correct any minor grammatical or punctuation issues. This ensures that all released Azure reports are of the highest quality. There is usually a 14 day turn around period for the report to be completed by the specialist and presented to the requested party.
An Independent Medical Examination is the step that allows and supports an accurate medicolegal report. By understanding the above process, your client should come to their appointment with confidence and ease, knowing what to expect. For any further clarification or assistance, please contact our administration team. We are always here to guide you and help make the right decision for both yourself and your client.
*The details outlined above explain the most common process and undertaking of an examination, however each specialist is different and will have slightly different processes.
