Consultative examinations are requested by Social Security disability claims examiners only when the information provided by a claimant’s own treating doctors is inadequate for determining if the claimant is disabled. Most disability examiners will contact an individual’s treating physician for additional information or clarification; however, there are cases in which this may be impossible, or there are times when a claimant has had very little medical treatment or all of their medical information is considered outdated for the purposes of the disability determination.
What Happens at the Exam?
What happens at a physical exam for Social Security disability or SSI? A complete consultative physical exam involves all of the elements of a routine physical examination. For instance, your blood pressure, heart rate, weight, and other routine facets of a standard physical examination would be checked. The physician would also evaluate the part of your body that is impaired and/or perform tests requested by the claims examiner, such as an exercise stress test.
What Happens After the Exam?
After the examination, the consultative physician would complete a written report that would include the claimant's main medical complaint, a detailed synopsis of the individual's major complaint or complaints, a report of the positive and negative findings based upon the history, exam, and laboratory findings that were found during the course of the examination, and a diagnosis and prognosis for the claimant.
The consultative physician will also make a statement with regard to what a claimant is capable of doing in spite of their impairment. The consultative physician will give an a opinion as to the claimant's ability to perform work related activities such as lifting, carrying, standing, walking, handling things, hearing, speaking, and so on.
