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Disability evaluations are more than completing a form… I would first ask if there is an alternate job/function/work schedule that you can change to that may fit your needs.

Did you know that according to the World Health Organization, more than 1 billion people worldwide have a disability? In the United States more than 56 million American workers have some form of disability. Of these, more than 38 million have a severe disability. The conditions that most often lead to disability include back or spine problems, heart conditions and arthritis.

Disability impacts family members and caregivers. There are differentiations between disability, impairment and handicap.  These need to be delineated to best evaluate patients and make appropriate recommendations. The two largest disability programs in the United States are Social Security Disability and workers’ compensation.   For veterans, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provides disability benefits.

There are many family physicians performing this initial evaluation of disability. I do not perform disability evaluations; I rely on subspecialists and occupational health physicians. If you are interested in disability, look for physicians who have received specialized medical education by American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians, or the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners.

My hope is that even with deficits each of our lives is a meaningful and productive one.