EPISODE DESCRIPTION

This episode provides valuable insights and best practices for Qualified Medical Evaluators
(QMEs) in writing high-quality medical reports. Key takeaways include:
– Focus on areas with more injured workers, like Northern and Central California, for higher case volume.
– Get reports in quickly, as the QME’s assessment is often the final piece needed to build a case.
– Utilize support staff like historians and scribes to gather key information and streamline report writing.
– Work backwards from the AMA Guides and cite them throughout the report to demonstrate expertise.
– Support all statements with evidence and reasoning, even if not “bulletproof.”
– Use tested templates to organize the report and highlight important information.
– Answer all questions asked, even the specific or unique ones.
– Attend industry meetings to gain insights from judges, attorneys, and other QMEs on report expectations.
– Recognize common patterns in cases, leverage your QA team, schedule patients efficiently, utilize televisits when appropriate, and maintain objectivity.

KEY LESSONS

The 3 key learnings that are likely surprising to the reader are:
• Experts advise QMEs to focus on the “hot markets” – areas with more injured workers, such as Northern and Central California, rather than the more affluent parts of the state.
• Utilizing a historian and scribe can help gather key information and make the final report easier to write.
• QMEs should work backwards from the AMA Guides and cite them throughout the report, demonstrating their expertise and understanding of the legal framework.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Excelling as a Fantastic QME: Tips for Success
01:32 Leveraging Historian and Scribe for Efficient QM Reporting
03:36 Citing Guides and Supporting Statements in Reports
05:06 Explaining Impairment Apportionment Reasonably
06:42 Answer All Questions Thoroughly
07:25 Attend Diverse Meetings, Gain Insights
08:35 Recognizing Patterns in QME Evaluations
09:59 Scheduling Patients Back-to-Back for Efficiency

SUMMARY

Experts advise QMEs to focus on the “hot markets” – areas with more injured workers, such as Northern and Central California, rather than the more affluent parts of the state. They recommend getting reports in quickly, as the QME’s assessment is often the final piece needed to build a case. Utilizing a historian and scribe can help gather key information and make the final report easier to write. Importantly, QMEs should work backwards from the AMA Guides and cite them throughout the report, demonstrating their expertise and understanding of the legal framework. The speakers discuss best practices for writing high-quality medical reports, particularly for Qualified Medical Evaluations (QMEs). Key tips include:

– Support all statements with evidence and reasoning, even if it’s not “bulletproof”
– Use tested templates to organize the report and highlight important information
– Answer all questions asked, even the specific or unique ones
– Attend industry meetings to gain insights from judges, attorneys, and other QMEs on what they look for in reports The speaker recommends several strategies for being an effective Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME), including recognizing common patterns in cases, relying on your QA team for support, scheduling patients back-to-back, using televisits when appropriate, and maintaining objectivity. The key is to leverage resources and processes to provide thorough, timely, and unbiased evaluations that address the key questions at hand.