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Telemedicine IME

It’s no secret that we face a shortage of clinician providers who offer medical-legal evaluations and reviews. In rural areas, this shortage is even greater. Considering today’s technology-driven environment, people are often used to convenience coupled with expeditious resolutions. With the Merit Medical Evaluations’ Telemedicine platform, we can offer a way to connect our physician specialists with claimants in rural areas who may not otherwise have convenient access to physician specialists. 

Addressing the misconception:
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a seismic shift in healthcare delivery, creating a rapid and substantial rise in telemedicine appointments. With social distancing measures and lockdowns enforced globally, the healthcare industry swiftly adapted to the virtual sphere, enabling patients to receive medical care from the comfort of their homes.

Merit’s Telemedicine Independent Medical Exams (T-IMEs) employ the same advancements to the healthcare virtual sphere that exist in 2023 but from conveniently located physical therapy clinics rather than the claimant’s home.  

Our approach: 
Merit first implemented T-IMEs in 2017 in collaboration with physicians, physical therapists, and software developers. This new take on IMEs via Telemedicine provides your claim with a physician from our network of providers in the specialty you require for the claimant’s specific injury. In 2023, we have expanded our T-IME locations to 5  locations outside of Omaha.

Because the exams take place at a cooperating physical therapy clinic, the claimant will be physically present with a licensed, skilled physical therapist. The physical therapist will perform the physical portion of the exam under the (remote) physician’s direction.  In some instances, we can assign multiple physician specialists to address multiple injuries/extremities in a single visit.

How it works: 
On the day of the claimant’s scheduled appointment, they will arrive at the cooperating physical therapy clinic. At the clinic, the physical therapist will administer the medical history questionnaire, take the claimant’s vital signs, and accompany them to the exam room.

In the exam room, the physician will remotely gain access to the appointment via (HIPAA-compliant) Zoom, equipping a high-definition camera, speaker system, and far-end camera control. The physician will speak with the claimant about their medical history, and details about their injury. Under the physician’s direction, the physical therapist will perform the physical exam by assessing the claimant’s range of motion and strength, identifying Waddell’s signs, and evaluating the wound. 

The physician will address and answer any of the claimant’s questions or concerns during the examination appointment. 

Additionally, the Telemedicine platform offers the capability for impairment ratings with one of our licensed physicians. These ratings establish the impairment (permanent vs. temporary) and level of disability (partial vs. total).

Merit Medical Evaluations Telemedicine IME Location Map

Our Telemedicine Locations:

  • Bridgeport, NE (Morrill County Community Hospital)
  • Norfolk, NE (Jacobsen Therapy Services)
  • North Platte, NE (Sandhills Physical Therapy & Sports Rehab)
  • Omaha, NE (Merit Medical Evaluations)
  • Mount Vernon, MO (SERC Physical Therapy)
  • Saint Joseph, MO (SERC Physical Therapy)

 

Free 5-Minute Phone Call

Schedule a free five-minute phone call to discuss the next direction of your case with our medical director