The January/February 1998 edition of the AMA Guides Newsletter contained the article, Use of the Guides Down Under. Over the 16 years that have elapsed since that article was published there have been major changes in Australia in use of impairment rating guides, which reflect the changing legislative picture largely in the workers compensation area but also in the area of motor accident compensation.
Against the backdrop of further editions of the AMA Guides, ie, the Fifth and Sixth Editions, in the various Australian state and federal jurisdictions, impairment rating has become an important component of independent medical examinations and in many areas impairment guides have been adopted as a mandatory tool for assessing permanent impairment.
Both workers compensation and motor accident compensation in the state of Victoria had established use of the Fourth Edition as...
