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Consultative Examinations: A Guide for
Health Professionals
Part II - Evidence Requirements
Medical Evidence
Under both the title II and title XVI programs,
medical evidence is the cornerstone for the determination of disability.
Each person who files a disability
claim is responsible for providing medical evidence showing that he or
she has an impairment (s) and how severe the impairment (s) is. However,
SSA will help claimants get medical reports from their own medical sources
when the claimants gives SSA permission to do so. This medical evidence
generally comes from sources that have treated or evaluated the claimant
for his or her
impairment (s).
Acceptable Medical Sources
Documentation of the existence of a claimant's impairment must come from
medical professionals defined by SSA's regulation as "acceptable medical
sources." Once the existence of an impairment is established, all of the
medical and non-medical evidence is considered in assessing impairment
severity.
"Acceptable medical sources" are:
- Licensed physicians (medical or osteopathic doctors);
- Licensed or certified psychologists. Included are school psychologists, or other licensed or certified individuals with other titles who perform the same function as a school psychologist in a school setting, for purposes of establishing mental retardation, learning disabilities, and borderline intellectual functioning only ;
- Licensed optometrists, for purposes of establishing visual disorders only (except, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, licensed optometrists, for the measurement of visual acuity and visual fields only);
- Licensed podiatrists, for purposes of establishing impairments of the foot, or foot and ankle, depending on whether the State in which the podiatrist practices permits the practice of podiatry on the foot only, or the foot and ankle; and
- Qualified speech-language pathologists, for purposes of establishing speech or language impairments only. For this source, “qualified” means that the speech-language pathologist must be licensed by the State professional licensing agency, or be fully certified by the State education agency in the State in which he or she practices, or hold a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Medical Evidence from Treating
Sources
Currently, many disability claims are decided on the basis of medical
evidence from "treating sources." ”Treating source” means
the claimant’s own “acceptable medical source” who
provides, or has provided, the claimant with medical treatment or evaluation
and who has, or has had, an ongoing treatment relationship with the
claimant. SSA regulations place special emphasis
on evidence from treating sources because they are likely to be the
medical professionals most able to provide a detailed longitudinal picture
of the claimant's impairments and they may bring a unique perspective
to the medical evidence that cannot be obtained from the medical findings
alone or from reports of individual examinations or brief hospitalizations.
Therefore, timely, accurate, and adequate medical reports from treating
sources may accelerate the processing of the claim because they can
greatly reduce or eliminate the need for additional medical evidence
to complete the claim.
Other Evidence Sources
Information from other sources may also help show the extent to which
a person's impairment(s) affects his or her ability to function. Other
sources include public and private social welfare agencies, non-medical
sources such as teachers, day care providers, social workers and employers,
and other health care professionals such as naturopaths, chiropractors,
and audiologists.
Medical Reports
SSA frequently asks physicians, psychologists, and other health care
professionals to submit reports about an
individual's impairment. Therefore, it is important to know what evidence
SSA needs. Medical reports should include:
- Clinical findings (such as the results of physical
or mental status examinations);
- Laboratory findings (such as blood pressure,
x-rays);
- Treatment prescribed with response and prognosis;
and a
- Statement providing an opinion about what
the claimant can still do despite his or her impairment(s) based on
the medical source's findings on the above factors. This statement should
describe, but is not limited to, the individual's ability to perform
work-related activities, such as sitting, standing, walking, lifting,
carrying, handling objects, hearing, speaking, and traveling. In cases
involving mental impairments, it should describe the individual's ability
to understand, to carry out and remember instructions, and to respond
appropriately to supervision, coworkers, and work pressures in a work
setting. For a child, the statement should describe the child's ability
to function in an age-appropriate manner in the areas of functioning
appropriate for the child's age.
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Evidence Relating to Symptoms
In developing evidence of the effects of
symptoms, such as pain, shortness of breath, or fatigue, on a claimant's
ability to function, SSA investigates all avenues presented that relate
to the complaints. These include information provided by treating and
other sources regarding:
- The claimant's daily activities;
- Location, duration, frequency, and intensity
of the pain or other symptom; precipitating and aggravating factors;
the type, dosage, effectiveness, and side effects of any medication;
- Treatments, other than medications, for the
relief of pain or other symptoms;
- Any measures the claimant uses or has used to
relieve pain or other symptoms; and
- Other factors concerning the claimant's
functional limitations due to pain or other symptoms.
In assessing the claimant's pain or other symptoms,
the decision-maker(s) must give full consideration to all of the above-mentioned
factors. It is important that medical sources address these factors
in the reports they provide.
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