Abstract
The principal medical model of impairment is the American Medical Association’s (AMA’s) Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (2008). The sixth edition, published in December 2008, introduced new approaches to rating impairment, using methodology designed to enhance the relevancy of impairment ratings, improve internal consistency, promote greater precision, and simplify the rating process. The approach is based on a modification of the conceptual framework of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health [ICF] (World Health Organization, 2001), although the fundamental principles underlying the guides remain unchanged. In this chapter, we review the medical approach to assessing impairment, with focus on the underlying methodology and the evaluation of pain, nervous system, and mental and behavioral impairment.
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Leclair, N., Leclair, S., Brigham, C.R. (2016). The Medical Model of Impairment. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J. (eds) Assessing Impairment. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-7996-4_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-7996-4_7
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