AMA Guides® Newsletter - Issue Archive
Volume 27 (2022): Issue 1 (Jan) < Previous Issue Next Issue >
Articles
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Addressing Mental and Social Health in Workers' Compensation
David Ring
Pages 3–6
DOI: 10.1001/amaguidesnewsletters.2022.JanFeb01
AbstractHumans interpret and react to symptoms. We only seek care for a symptom when it becomes a concern.1 Variation in symptom intensity and magnitude of capability relates more to unhelpful thoughts, feelings of worry and despair regarding symptoms, and feelings of insecurity around role and livelihood (mental and social health opportunities) than pathophysiology.2 Work claims are meant to address pathology that results from injury. Injuries have predictable recovery trajectories. When the recovery trajectory seems off track, consider pre-existing non-trauma pathology and mental and social health opportunities. Appropriate management of new pathology under the work claim and pre-existing pathology and mental and social health opportunities outside the work claim, along with a supportive environment that anticipates these aspects of normal human illness behavior, can help people get and stay healthy in the context of workers' compensation. -
Observed Errors in Upper Extremity Impairment Rating: Recognition and Prevention
James B. Talmage, Christopher Brigham
Pages 7–11
DOI: 10.1001/amaguidesnewsletters.2022.JanFeb02
AbstractImpairment evaluations not performed following processes defined in the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (AMA Guides) will result in erroneous ratings. Common errors in impairment rating (IR) for upper extremity are frequently seen in physician IR reports and independent medical examination reports. Recognizing these errors can result in the prevention and management of these ratings. Common errors include rating impairment using the diagnosis-based approach for more than one diagnosis within a region and making incorrect assessments of motion loss, nerve injuries, entrapment disorders, and complex regional pain syndrome.