Information for Human Resources
Managers
Independent Psychiatric
Examinations
Discuss the case by telephone first:
Before scheduling an examination Dr. Edwards prefers that
you discuss your needs and the human resources or personnel
issues involved in the case. There is no charge for this
preliminary consultation. Dr. Edwards will provide an opinion
based on the issues and facts you present. Based on this you
may decide to have him review records or schedule an
examination. If it appears that Dr. Edwards is not the best
physician for this examination, he may be able to help you
find another. (The EEOC Enforcement
Guidance on psychiatric disabilities will answer many of
your questions regarding reasonable accommodation of mental
impairment.)
Types of cases:
Dr. Edwards works on cases involving:
- disability accommodation
- violence risk management
- fitness for duty
Questions:
Please write Dr. Edwards a formal letter requesting the
examination as far in advance of the examination as possible. You
may wish to discuss the wording of your questions with Dr.
Edwards before writing the letter to be assured he will be able
to answer them after psychiatric examination. You may wish to
consider choosing from some sample
questions.
Fees and payment:
If you decide to use his services, Dr. Edwards will
provide you with a list of all fees. The organization or
company rather than the subject must accept responsibility
for payment. Dr. Edwards will not submit claims under the
subject's medical plan since this kind of examination is
forensic only and does not establish a physician patient
relationship.
Information the doctor can use:
Written information you should considered asking Dr.
Edwards to review may include medical records, military
records, and personnel records. Dr. Edwards may also want to
interview by telephone or in the office relatives, coworkers
or other individuals who know the subject.
Preparing the subject:
To avoid refusal to be examined or other delays at the
time of the examination, please inform the subject (and
subject's counsel) of what to expect. The examination may
last most of a day. The subject will be asked to sign an authorization for
release of medical information before the
examination begins. The subject will probably be asked to
complete an MMPI II at the office. Whether and by whom the
subject will be accompanied should be agreed upon before the
day of the examination. Whether the examination will be
recorded or video taped should be agreed upon before the day
of the examination.
The Report:
After the collection of information and the examination
itself Dr. Edwards will discuss his opinion with you. He will
then prepare a formal report documenting the opinion and its
basis in an organized fashion. Reports of typical
examinations are between fifteen and twenty pages in length.
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