...Charl Els, MBChB, FCPsych(SA), MMedPsych; Barry Gelinas, MD, DC; Rose M. Carter, QC; Les Kertay, PhD Independent medical examinations (IMEs) are elective evaluations of clinical conditions and differ from a clinical consultation in several important ways. They are conducted in many medicolegal...

...Steven Feinberg, MD; Christopher R. Brigham, MD An independent medical evaluation (IME) is a specialized examination or evaluation best performed by a physician who has special training and experience in assessing issues unique to an IME. IMEs must be independent, and opinions should be consistent...

... the clinical course over time. Examiners should be qualified by experience and qualifications and ideally should have a special credential from an independent medical examiners association and must be knowledgeable about IME report writing. A section of the article describes the structure of the IME report...

... injury or illness. Often a decision about impairment is made in the course of an independent medical examination (IME). In an IME, physicians who are not directly involved in the treatment ofclaimants are commissioned by an insurance company to examine the claimants and, among other things, to render...

... by an independent medical examiner who is not treating the patient or claimant, to answer questions posed by the party requesting the IME.” Evaluators must adhere to best practice standards and must know that these standards may change over time and must meet the needs of the relevant jurisdiction. IMEs take place...

...Steven D. Feinberg, MD; Christopher R. Brigham, MD Who is in the better position to evaluate, the treating physician or an independent medical examination (IME) physician? A treating physician has a patient-advocate role because he or she has a doctor-patient relationship with the patient/claimant...

...Jack Richman, MD, FACOEM, CIME, FAADEP According to the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment ( AMA Guides ), Fifth Edition, an independent medical evaluation (IME) is “an evaluation performed by an independent medical examiner, who evaluates—but does not provide care...

...Christopher R. Brigham, MD Independent medical examinations (IMEs) are performed by a physician or another health care provider who is not involved in the examinee's care and for the purpose of clarifying medical and case issues. Poor quality evaluations and reports are unfair to both the client...

... a case to a consultant for an expert opinion. Independent Medical Evaluation: An IME may be requested indirectly (through a broker, IME company, or other intermediary vendor who selects the examiner) or via direct contact with the evaluating physician. Reviewer/examiner characteristics...

...Christopher R. Brigham, MD The pre-evaluation phase of an independent medical evaluation (IME) consists of several steps that lead to the evaluation itself. A table lists typical issues and tasks facing independent medical evaluators. The evaluation begins when the client requests an IME...

... the form and reviews the information before the examinee leaves. As the physician obtains historical and examination data, he or she can start to formulate a list of diagnoses. The typical elements of the history are shown in Table 1 . Independent Medical Evaluation History (page 10). The physician...

... than for independent medical evaluations, require shipping to the examinee, and require training for the user. It is difficult to virtually perform certain aspects of an internal medicine examination, such as palpation, assessment of signs of heart failure, and evaluation of orthostatic hypotension...

... cover libel or slander.) You should carefully examine your policy and speak with your insurer or agent to determine whether they will cover you for claims arising from the performance of independent medical evaluations or the review of medical records. Under your policy, such activities may...

... in the “front-line” specialties of critical care and emergency medicine. 4 , 5 Yet, burnout among independent medical evaluation (IME) physicians has not been well studied. As IME physicians (examiners), we encounter patients who exhibit the manifestations of job dissatisfaction and burnout, which are often...

...James B. Talmage, MD; Leon H. Ensalada, MD, MPH Evaluators must understand the complex overall process that makes up an independent medical evaluation (IME), whether the purpose of the evaluation is to assess impairment or other care issues. Part 1 of this article provides an overview...

...Christopher R. Brigham, MD The AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment ( AMA Guides ), Fifth Edition, explains that independent medical evaluations (IMEs) are not the same as impairment evaluations, and the evaluation must be designed to provide the data to answer the questions asked...

.... In addition, this article includes a checklist of characteristics shared by chronic pain patients, along with a list of essential questions that evaluators can ask in assessing pain and a list of pain, behavioral, and psychological inventories commonly used in independent medical evaluations. Physicians...

... Board of Medical Specialties clinical certification or certification by the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners. In addition, clients identify physicians who perform IMEs through local contacts, physician directories, physician networks, marketing services, and IME organizations that may...

...Christopher R. Brigham, MD; Phil Walker, JD Clients who request an independent medical or impairment evaluation are more likely to obtain a quality report from an evaluating provider if they request the appropriate evaluator, provide needed information, and clarify the specifics of their referral...

...Mohammed Ranavaya, MD © 1998 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved. 1998 American Medical Association This book is a guide to the basic concepts of the independent medical evaluation (IME) process, IME report preparation, and the mechanics for addressing a variety of issues...