Physicians Responsibility in Making Medical Legal-Decision

I have a hard time believing that board-certified doctors can’t clarify issues with patients when they come in to be seen accurately and honestly reporting that the complaints and the physicians’ findings in such a way that the answers are cut and dry with regard to occupational or non-occupational relationships. This continues to escalate the cost of claims for alleged occupational injury. Closely tied into this is the inappropriate significant work restrictions for minor musculoskeletal complaints people have. I strongly recommend that every doctor in an examining position and also every doctor, physician’s assistant, and nurse practitioner read the article, “Delayed recovery in the patient with a work compensable injury,” by Derebery*, et al. This is an eloquent clarification as to what the issues are since over half of the musculoskeletal complaints for alleged occupational injury or illness reported are for tendinitis which often times is actually carpal tunnel syndrome or carpal tunnel syndrome itself. It behooves each person to also review all of the pages on my website. If any references are necessary, they can be provided- I took down a 400 reference annotated bibliography because no one, in particular physicians, were actually viewing those pages!

*Derebery, V.J., Tullis, W.H., “Delayed recovery in the patient with a work compensable injury.” J Occupat Med, 1983; 25: 11: 829-835