Disability Management

1. See Also
   1. Disability
   2. Impairment Evaluation
   3. Disability Evaluation
   4. Functional Capacity Evaluation
   5. Assistive Technology
   6. Letter of Medical Necessity
   7. Disability Referral
   8. Activities of Daily Living
   9. Failure to Thrive in the Elderly
   10. Elderly Drivers with Cognitive Impairment
   11. Medication Use in the Elderly (Beers List, STOPP)
2. Guideline: Enlist team Approach
   1. Foster early patient-employer communication
      1. Employer defines alternative work duties
      2. Consider Occupational Health for difficulties
   2. Health-care team
      1. Physical Therapy
3. Guideline: Lay out anticipated course
   1. Discuss realistic healing and recovery times
   2. Early progressive activity maximizes outcome
      1. Write activity prescription
      2. Reduces Chronic Pain risk
      3. Avoids illness reinforcement (see Somatization)
4. Guideline: Approach recommendations systematically
   1. Maintain patient confidentiality
   2. Obtain all relevant medical records
   3. Clearly notify patient when ready to return to work
   4. Patient should receive a copy of work recommendations
   5. Specifically define work capabilities
      1. Consider workplace policies, resources, and demands
      2. Foremost, protect public and co-worker safety
      3. Clearly outline recovery plan (see above)
5. Approach: Medical Disability Claims
   1. Criteria for medical Disability
      1. Physiologic or psychologic Impairment
      2. Work status affected by Impairment
   2. Protocol
      1. Assess that patient meets Disability criteria above
      2. What Disability certification is patient seeking?
         1. See Worker's Compensation Disability
         2. See Private Disability Insurance
         3. See Social Security Disability Insurance
         4. See Americans with Disabilities Act
         5. See Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
      3. What defines Disability for certification requested?
6. References
   1. (1997) Can Med Assoc J 156:680A-C [PubMed]
   2. Barron (2001) Am Fam Physician 64(9): 1579-86 [PubMed]
   3. Derebry (1983) J Occup Med 25:829-35 [PubMed]
   4. McGrail (2001) Am Fam Physician 63(4):679-84 [PubMed]
   5. Soderstrom (1998) Occup Med 13:273-8 [PubMed]