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Review of Case Materials
Reviews records, documents, testimony, data, and other relevant materials and consults with counsel regarding technical issues related to the matter.
Provide Expert Analysis
Applies specialized knowledge and experience to evaluate the technical or professional issues involved.
Form Expert Opinions
Develops independent, supportable opinions based on the available evidence and relevant standards.
Prepare Expert Reports
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An independent medical examination, or IME, is generally performed to address specific medical questions for an insurer, employer, court, claims administrator, or other third party rather than to provide ongoing treatment. The examiner should explain the purpose of the examination, the nature of the third-party relationship, and the limits of the encounter. A treating physician, by contrast, ordinarily provides continuing diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and follow-up as part of an ongoing therapeutic relationship.
Yes. An IME physician and a treating physician may reach different conclusions because they may be addressing different questions or relying on different examinations, records, diagnostic evidence, time periods, and specialty perspectives. A difference of opinion does not by itself establish which conclusion is better supported. The underlying findings, chronology, applicable medical evidence, assumptions, and reasoning should be compared.
No. Impairment generally refers to a medically assessed loss or reduction of body structure or function, while disability concerns limitations in activities or participation and may also be defined by the particular workers' compensation, insurance, employment, Social Security, or other system involved. A physician may document impairment, functional limitations, restrictions, and other medical findings, but those findings do not automatically determine whether a person meets a particular legal or administrative definition of disability.
The examiner should have training, experience, and professional competence relevant to the medical condition and questions being addressed. Musculoskeletal injuries, neurological disorders, psychiatric conditions, and other health problems may require different specialty knowledge and examination methods. The physician should keep opinions within the examiner's professional expertise, while any additional qualification requirements may depend on the jurisdiction or system governing the examination.
Independent Medical Examination (IME), +4
Healthcare
Prepares clear, well-supported expert reports outlining methodology, analysis, findings, and opinions.
Provide Deposition Testimony
Explains findings and opinions under oath and responds to questioning during deposition testimony.
Testify in Court
Presents specialized findings and opinions clearly to judges, juries, arbitrators, or other decision-makers.
An IME does not ordinarily create an ongoing treatment relationship, but an important incidental health finding should not simply be ignored. The examiner should inform the person about significant health information or abnormalities discovered during the examination and, when appropriate, recommend evaluation or treatment by a qualified healthcare professional. The extent of any additional follow-up responsibility can depend on the finding, circumstances, and applicable professional or legal requirements.
