Tele-medicine and Workers’ Compensation

The present pandemic has changed so much of our normal lives. Sadly, it has also disrupted important medical care for many people including injured workers. Though more and more people are beginning to receive medical care again, there still are a few people who can’t get in to see their doctor face-to-face and tele-medicine may be the solution to their problem.

Tele-medicine has grown steadily over the last few years, but has exploded in use in the wake of COVID-19 and some indications suggest that it is going to become a commonly used method of meeting with doctors. If you have access to a smart-phone, iPad, laptop, or tablet, you’ve got all you need for a tele-medicine appointment..

Tele-medicine appointments have much the same feel as an in person appointment with your doctor. Your doctor will ask you about your injury, what your symptoms are, and how the injury occurred as well as a brief medical history. Tele-medicine does have its limitations, namely, a doctor cannot perform physical tests such as reflexes, touch your skin to sense if you are too hot or too cold, or your range of motion. However, doctors can gain useful information about your problem(s) by simply having you perform simple movements during the video chat. Doctors may also prescribe you medications, physical therapy, or one or more diagnostic tests such as an X-Ray or MRI.

Diagnostic testing companies have largely continued to operate uninterrupted, but with additional safety measures during the COVID-19 pandemic and you will most likely have no trouble getting an appointment.

Doctors and their medical opinions are the opinions that matter most in a workers’ compensation case. Without clear medical statements on an injured worker’s ability to work, some workers’ compensation insurance companies will cease lost wage checks until there is a clear opinion from a medical professional. This situation can leave people without needed income and without needed medical but with enormous amounts of stress. Tele-medicine appointments may well be the thing to jump start their case again.

If your workers’ compensation adjuster is denying your claim even though you have a doctor recommending medical care, or who says you cannot work because of your injury, contact an attorney who specializes in workers’ compensation issues such as those at Davis & Sanchez who can help you understand your case and can fight the denial if necessary.

At Davis & Sanchez, workers’ compensation cases are all we do and we work hard to get the best outcomes for our clients.