What does a Disability Consultant do?

The analysis of the effect an illness or injury has had on an individual's ability to perform "regular work" is the primary focus of a Disability Consultant with training and experience in Vocational Analysis and Rehabilitation

 Why not just read and use the medical records, i.e. what the physician or the physical therapist says?

Records of medical treatment are primarily expressed in Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis statements. Establishing the impact of an illness or injury on the ability to work requires clarification of Function. Generally there is little correlation between the medical records and the assessment of Function. Disability Evaluation Resource bases the evaluation on the client's measured functional abilities in addition to the standard medical records.

 How does a Disability Evaluation Resource contribute to resolving conflicting views of an individual's level of disability?

Disability Evaluation Resource combines knowledge of the Functional impact of medical limitations with occupational and labor market resources and procedures which are then used in developing a Job Analysis/Disability Evaluation Report.

 How does a Disability Consultant specifically assist in a Long Term Disability benefit application?

A Disability Consultant will perform a very detailed analysis of an Own Occupation including essential tasks and exertional/non-exertional requirements, develop current third party data to support the functional requirements established for the Occupation as opposed to the individual job, identify or coordinate the development of medical assessment stated in Functional terms and present the vocational and medical data in an integrated report. Other practitioners trained in Disability Analysis will be able to analyze the data utilized in the report and replicate the report findings. If the report establishes the Occupation material duties are not within the claimant's medical limitations, then the Long Term Disability application will be approved.