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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Disability evaluation in children with hemidecorticectomy: use of the activity scales for kids and the pediatric evaluation disability inventory.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the level of disability of children who are either candidates for or have undergone a hemidecorticectomy. The Activity Scales for Kids and the Pediatric Evaluation Disability Inventory were demonstrated to be useful measurement tools yielding comparative results between subgroups. Overall, children with congenital disease seemed less autonomous postoperatively than were preoperative patients or children with acquired disease. Age at surgery and the interval between seizure onset and surgery are potentially important predictors of disability. This could reflect the importance of timing of surgery, development, environment, and possibly brain plasticity processes in this population.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Disability evaluation.

A physician may be called upon to evaluate disability in the roles of impartial judge of impairment, expert witness in a legal case, or treating physician. Critical to these processes are discernment between disability and impairment, an understanding of legal responsibilities, and knowledge of the elements of examinations and reports.

Disability Evaluation↗
PubMed1990

The Social Security Disability Evaluation Study.

Disability has continued to gain attention as a research topic in the mental health field. Both the SSA and the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research currently fund research aimed at understanding the vocational needs of severely mentally ill adults, particularly those in supportive employment programs. The National Institute of Mental Health funds research on disability and rehabilitation, particularly research on innovative approaches to increasing the individual's level of functioning and quality of life. All of these federal agencies anticipate continued funding of research on disability. This evaluation of the SSA's 1985 medical standards and guidelines by the APA is an example of the type of disability research that seeks to address issues related to individuals as well as important policy questions. In this evaluation, both the appropriateness and utility of the standards and guidelines were assessed, and the quality of disability decisions for severely mentally impaired applicants was studied.

Disability Evaluation↗
PubMed1997

[Reliability of expert assessment in disability evaluation within the scope of disability insurance].

With the introduction of the law on the statutory nursing care insurance in Germany ("Pflegeversicherung") in 1995, new benefits are provided for the most severely disabled people. Provision of benefits is contingent on a standardised examination performed by the medical service of the German statutory health insurance system (MDK). Results of the first study on the inter-rater reliability of this standardised examination are presented in this paper. The study population consisted of 218 elderly people (age range 60-99) living in 4 nursing homes in Munich. They were assessed by 2 senior medical students and 2 nurses using the standardised questionnaire of the MDK. Inter-rater reliability was assessed by means of kappa coefficients. Reliability was assessed with regard to the summary judgement of disability and the rating of single items (with regard to limitations in activities of daily living, mental status or the prognosis). Inter rater reliability was higher for the overall assessment of disability (kappa = 0.71 between medical students, kappa = 0.66 between nurses) than for most of the single items of the questionnaire such as "need of assistance with dressing" (kappa = 0.57 between medical students, kappa = 0.66 between nurses) or "ability to move" (kappa = 0.58 between medical students, kappa = 0.67 between nurses). Kappa-coefficients were particularly low for variables concerning prognosis of participants and for the mental status item "self-disorientation" (kappa = 0.19 between medical students, kappa = 0.23 between nurses). These patterns were consistently observed for the 2 rater groups (student-student, nurse-nurse). Between the 2 rater groups there was no substantial difference in reliability. However, there was a trend for higher agreement within the group of nurses. Although the overall reliability of the assessment of disability is relatively high in comparison to many other diagnostic procedures (such as x-ray readings), efforts should be made towards further improvement of this standardised examination.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1994

Validity of neuropsychological test results in disability evaluations.

A group of 50 disability claimants referred by the Social Security Administration for neuropsychological screening were administered a 36-item, forced-choice, digit-recognition method of detecting malingering to assess effort and motivation to perform well. This abbreviated form of the 1989 Hiscock and Hiscock Forced-choice Procedure has been shown to be quite easy even for individuals with severe organic brain dysfunction. A perfect performance of 36 correct on this digit-recognition task is obtained by most individuals with moderate to severe brain damage. A performance of less than 90% correct is due more likely to poor effort or even malingering rather than brain damage. In this sample, 18% (n = 9) obtained scores of less than 90% correct, i.e., < 33, which calls into question the reliability and validity of test data obtained. An additional 20% (n = 10) obtained intermediate scores of 33 to 35 correct. These intermediate scores are more difficult to interpret although at least some proportion of those scores reflects poor motivation. The results over-all indicate that nearly one-fifth of potential disability claimants produced invalid and uninterpretable neuropsychological test protocols and an additional one-fifth obtained protocols that should be well scrutinized for evidence of poor effort as well. Neuropsychologists conducting disability evaluations are urged to use measures designed specifically to assess effort and motivation.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Disability evaluation following traumatic brain injury.

Accurate disability evaluation of a patient with TBI is a very difficult and detailed process. It requires an excellent background concerning the evaluation of all the physical, cognitive, behavioral, and functional abnormalities associated with TBI. Texts that highlight all these abnormalities include Medical Rehabilitation of Traumatic Brain Injury by Horn and Zasler and Rehabilitation of the Adult and Child with Traumatic Brain Injury by Rosenthal et al. In addition, appropriate disability rating can only be performed by a physician with expert skills in obtaining accurate historical information and completing a detailed physical examination. Often, the historical information must be obtained from many sources because the patient may supply inaccurate information because of his or her cognitive deficits. Interviews with family members, caregivers, therapists, friends, and employers are sometimes necessary to obtain an accurate historical picture. Premorbid functioning, behavior, and personality are important because previous abnormalities are often exaggerated after the TBI. The physical examination should be tailored to provide detailed objective information concerning all deficits identified through the history. If cognitive and behavioral problems are identified through either the history or examination, a neuropsychologic assessment is necessary. All this information should be available before the disability or impairment rating. Only with detailed information can a clinician provide an accurate rating.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Disability evaluation following stroke.

The physician performing a disability evaluation needs to document the stroke patient's impairments carefully. This is achieved through a thorough history, physical examination, and if necessary, neuropsychologic assessment. Most often, the clinician will deal with the Social Security Administration system; however, the physician may occasionally need to provide this information for private disability insurance.

Disability Evaluation↗
PubMed1987

Disability evaluation in arthritis patients.

During the working years, rheumatic conditions are the foremost cause of disability in the United States. Disability evaluation for Social Security applicants and Workers' Compensation patients is commonplace in orthopedic practices. Yet, formal education in this aspect of patient care is rare both during and after residency. Because of a lack of understanding and sophistication the physician who knows the patient better than any other evaluator often play a minor role in the determination of disability. Disability Evaluation Under Social Security--A Handbook for Physicians lists the medical criteria necessary for qualification. Severely disabled arthritis patients will not always fit into these various categories and may have to be considered under the rule of medical equivalency. Workers' Compensation statutes vary somewhat from state to state but generally include disability criteria. Familiarity with these criteria and the process involved will allow the orthopedist to communicate more meaningfully with administrators and will reduce much of the frustration and some of the cost inherent in this system. When subjective complaint (illness) is in excess of apparent organic pathology (disease), team evaluation under the direction of the treating physician will help sort out the dilemma and develop a treatment plan. One hopes that this will bring the illness more in line with the disease, and thus reduce the disability.

Disability Evaluation↗