 |
 |
Gerrit Kleynscheldt on Fri, 14 Jul 2000 20:37:49 asked: > Should we not throw our combined knowledge together and create a > standard document of some sort which a parkie in need can attach > to the application forms for disability. There is a big need for something like this. Judging from what I have read here about people's experiences with disability applications, the success of applying for disability depends on the nature and form of information the physician supplies, whether the applicant uses the services of a lawyer, and a number of arbitrary factors. I believe that some of the problems encountered in applying for disability exist because there is a gap between the kind of information a physician is good at dealing with as opposed to the kind of information needed for disability evaluation. The physician is best at describing disease symptoms. The disability evaluator needs to know what job-related tasks a person can and cannot do. If the medical record shows that a patient has, for example, cogwheel rigidity or response fluctuations, what is the disability evaluator to make of this? Would it be desirable and possible to develop a universal document that bridges the gap, perhaps a rating scale that the physician can conveniently complete that is PD disability oriented, and that translates types and intensities of symptoms to general job capabilities? I would be interested in working on this. Phil Tompkins Amherst, Mass. age 62/dx 1990 SSDI application 6+ months in Limbo