info@hippocratesmed.ca
604-606-0814
604-261-5290
OUR SERVICES
We book and arrange many different assessments and provide different services including ones below. Due to administrative delay, we will not be providing ICBC bookings presently, but will let you know as soon as the situation changes. We will, though, continue to provide bookings for plaintiff law firms with clients involved in MVAs in BC, as well as plaintiff and defense bookings for law firms in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Special Note: Due to the increasing numbers of long COVID, HMA expects there to be an escalating requirement for insurance assessments for such claimants. We are aware of the situation and will be willing to assist when called upon.
CHART REVIEWS & COURT PREP
Do I Need an IME or Solely a Chart Review?
There are many factors that come into this. Some of these include budget, timeline, and availability or compliance of the claimant. In addition, a chart review can help with court prep and cross examination, with either solely the production of a verbal report, or a written one as well.
Furthermore, there is always the option of assessing a claimant in a two-step manner – first a chart review, and then potentially later a full IME. This is, of course, dependent on the needs of the law firm or insurer.
If a written report is requested solely from a chart review, one needs to appreciate the opinion will not likely have the equivalent veracity relative to a full IME, given that the claimant was not interviewed or examined. (The next step up from this would be a “Virtual IME”, a new type of assessment as a product of the pandemic. In such a case, there is a chart review and interview, but very little or no physical examination. Psychiatric assessments would be more appropriate for this mode of evaluation, relative to other specialties.)
Whatever your needs in this regard, Hippocrates Medical Assessments can arrange the required service.
NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS
Just as it is necessary to assess a claimant’s physical function, there are cases in which it is invaluable to also assess their cognitive strengths and weaknesses. The most common situation in which this is requested would be a suspected traumatic brain injury, but it could be requested in any individual exhibiting significant cognitive challenges affecting daily functioning.
A neuropsychologist is also able to assist in interpreting the results, particularly if there are confounding factors such as a psychiatric illness (such as depression), marked pain, medications that can affect cognitive function, or other factors. Sometimes it is best to treat some of the confounding factors, as best possible, prior to considering such an evaluation though, as it can be challenging to determine which factor, or combination of factors, might be resulting in the cognitive deficits documented.
MRI’S & OTHER IMAGING
MRI’s can be helpful as a diagnostic tool, as well as a means to document impairments, some of which could be secondary to trauma.
It is often difficult to obtain MRI’s in a timely manner through the public healthcare system. Hippocrates Medical Assessments (HMA) can assist with expediting such referrals privately, along with a report from the radiologist.
If necessary, HMA could also arrange a radiologist evaluation of various forms of imaging in a claimant’s file, including comparisons of imaging pre and post trauma.
If you require other forms of imaging, HMA could assist with that as well.