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nursedina · (This post was last modified: 01-28-2011 08:08 PM by nursedina.)

Hello all - Ill make the history short for those that dont know me -

Nurse from PA, hurt taking care of patient , blew out two discs, left foot drop - three surgeries - (two fusions and one SCS implant) Have 6 screws, two bars, and two cages in back plus SCS. Have chronic pain in back and left leg burning and numbness as well as permanent left foot drop. Happened in September, 2008

Went for my first IRE. She asked me a bunch of questions. Had me take off foot brace and walk, move my foot up and down. Never asked me to bend, twist, NOTHING that had to do wiht my back. Whole medical exam was complete in less than 5 minutes. She Never examined my back at all! or any kind of range of motion of my back.

Is this normal? Even my lawyer thought that this was unusual. Why would she not check my back? That is my main injury..

edited to add: this was an IRE, not an IME

1171 · (This post was last modified: 01-28-2011 02:21 PM by 1171.)

if the IME was at the carriers request I assume the carrier gave her specific questions it wanted answers to.
if the IME was a poor exam it would seem to be a point in your favor if the judge has to use it as supporting evidence should it come to trial.

nursedina · 01-28-2011, 08:07 PM

oops, I made a mistake, it was not an IME, thats next week, it was the IRE. Sorry for that confusion, my mind has been ellsewhre this wek

01-30-2011, 02:48 PM

I have not thoroughly reviewed the new IRE guidelines, but I have been told by several doctors that perform them that ROM is no longer part of the equation. Under the new guides they simply plug the description of injury into a chart, make a few adjustments for factors such as treatment and come up with an impairment percentage.

(01-28-2011 08:07 PM)nursedina Wrote: oops, I made a mistake, it was not an IME, thats next week, it was the IRE. Sorry for that confusion, my mind has been ellsewhre this wek

nursedina · 01-30-2011, 03:43 PM

(01-30-2011 02:48 PM)Timothy Belt Wrote: I have not thoroughly reviewed the new IRE guidelines, but I have been told by several doctors that perform them that ROM is no longer part of the equation. Under the new guides they simply plug the description of injury into a chart, make a few adjustments for factors such as treatment and come up with an impairment percentage.

(01-28-2011 08:07 PM)nursedina Wrote: oops, I made a mistake, it was not an IME, thats next week, it was the IRE. Sorry for that confusion, my mind has been ellsewhre this wek

Thanks Mr. belt. I was worried. Smile

I appreciate the input Smile