Booking Specialist Appointments
Your time is valuable. Because of this we try as much as possible to keep to time so a not to keep you waiting. For us to achieve this you will need to arrive at your appointment 15-minutes before your appointment is due to start. This allows time for you to fill out a questionnaire, and allows time for our receptionist to copy any of your reports which need to be copied and to answer any of your questions.
As we do not have public toilet facilities, you may need to allow additional time for this if you are travelling a long way to get to your appointment.
Appointment Types
| The types of appointments offered by our doctors include: |
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Treatment Consultations |
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Independent Opinions |
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Medical Examinations |
| Unless you are having a medical examination you will need a referral to see our doctors. |
Treatment Consultations
| You will need to bring with you: |
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A referral letter from you doctor |
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Copies of reports and investigations that you have had done for the condition for which
we are seeing you |
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Your medicare number |
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Your workers compensation claim number and contact details of your insurer
(if this is a workers compensation claim) |
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The contact details of any involved treating health professionals
(including you Rehabilitation Provider if one is involved) |
The initial appointment will be booked for 40-minutes, with follow-up consultations being booked for 20-minutes. If you have any questions you wish to ask the doctor, we recommend that you write them down before the assessment, and give the doctor your list at the start of the consultation.
If you do not give adequate notice of failure to attend an appointment there may be a late cancellation (or non-attendance) fee.
This practice charges in accordance with recommended AMA rates, and does not bulk bill.
Independent Opinions
A medicolegal assessment is usually performed at the request of either an insurance company or a solicitor. The purpose of these assessments can vary but include a determination of insurer liability, completeness of treatment and assigning a level of permanent impairment.
The doctor's role in this type of assessment is not that of a treating doctor. So as not to cause potential conflict with the treating doctors the assessing doctor cannot provide a medical opinion or give feedback to the patient being assessed.
As a lot may be at stake, it is important for the assessing doctor to be completely unbiased and independent. For this reason our doctors will not accept payment contingent on the outcome of any pending legal proceedings.
Accuracy and consistency are also important. To achieve this the doctors use client information questionnaires and a standard set of questions during the assessment. The report is usually dictated immediately after the patient leaves the consultation.
Particular emphasis is placed on determining the mechanism of injury, establishing a diagnosis, conducting a thorough physical examination of the relevant body parts and considering all of the information in the context of current literature and the principles of evidence based medicine.
Any specific questions asked by the referring source are addressed with specific answers.
One hour is allocated for each assessment, chaperones and interpreters are used as necessary and the report is mailed out within five working days of the assessment.
| It will involve the following parts: |
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A detailed questionnaire. |
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A history. This will take the longest part of the assessment and will involve the doctor asking a
lot of detailed questions. Because it is important for the doctor to write down exactly what you
say he will often summarise what he thought you said and say it back to you. If you think he has misunderstood you, please let him know whilst you are in the room with him. The doctor will ask questions that you might think are not relevant to your injury or condition. These questions are however, important for the doctor to understand the full picture relating to your injury/condition. |
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An examination. Frequently this examination will be limited to the part of your body affected by your injury/condition. At times, the doctor will need to examine other parts of your body as well. This examination may require you to remove clothing to allow the doctor to either look at or examine the relevant areas. |
| Injury Management Consultations are a type of independent medical assessment where the doctor has been asked to identify and address barriers to your rehabilitation. Examples of reasons why the assessment has been organised include: |
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Your return to work program has not progressed |
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Your employer is uncertain as to how long you will be unwell for |
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It is unclear as to what duties you are fit to perform |
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Your treating doctor cannot / will not provide the above information |
Our doctor will communicate with your treating doctor (by report and by telephone). We do not have a role in either commenting on Insurer liability or in medical management.
This type of assessment will also take approximately one hour, and is otherwise similar to the above.
Medical Examinations
| There are a variety of reasons why a you will need to have a medical examinations. Examples of these include the following: |
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You are about to start a new job and you employer wants you to have a Pre-Placement Medical examination. |
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You are required to have regular work-related examinations (for example for Asbestos, Dust exposure or as part of a Hearing Conservation Program). |
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You may need a medical for your licence:
- Commercial Drivers
- Maritime workers
- SCUBA medicals
- Pilot medicals
- Racing car drivers (CAMS)
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This assessment can take up to one hour depending upon its type. You will need to arrive 15 minutes before your allotted appointment time. Do not empty your bladder immediately before coming to this appointment as you will need to supply a urine sample (testing for blood, protein
and sugar; unless otherwise specified).
Bring with you photo identification, as the doctor will need to confirm you identify for these types
of assessments.
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