| Popis: |
D rs. Loeser and Sullivan provide a valuable and long-needed service by exposing some of the major fallacies in the present disability determination system. However, while accurately describing the inappropriate role commonly forced on the physician, they extend their otherwise useful syllogism to the exaggerated conclusion that the disability due to patient's complaints of back pain is somehow caused by the physician. This conclusion is not supported by the evidence they present. However, important issues relating to the incongruous role of the physician in the disability process are insightfully presented. Conclusions reached have important meanings, but need to be viewed in relation to the needs of the disability compensation system as it attempts to translate medical jargon into pragmatic financial awards in a way that shares some semblance to fair-mindedness. Organized medicine has approached the issue of medical disability by dichotomizing the process into those issues that are medical in nature from those that are subsequently used to determine some means of establishing a dollar amount due to the injured.'" Although the authors of the Focus article clearly define impairment as relating, in general, to objectifiable medical findings, they do not point out that the disability determination system usually requires little else of the physician. Some physicians have made an effort to standardize their approach regarding disability determination through the formation of a society that seeks to train physicians in acceptable and consistent methods (American Association of Disability Evaluating Physicians). The need for such an approach is based on a principle Drs. Loeser and Sullivan seem to disparage. |
