WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT AN ORTHOPAEDIC REPORT?

A 14-question survey among orthopaedic surgeons revealed that most participants routinely consult radiology reports. This contradicts the common conception that this specialised referrer group only deals with imaging data and not with the associated interpretation.

Furthermore, the participants desired increased direct radiologist-orthopaedic surgeon communication to solve equivocal cases and improve patient care.

What is an Orthopaedic Report?

Orthopaedic reports are written by medical experts and present their findings on a client's injuries objectively. They also highlight the impact these injuries have had and could continue to impact their quality of life, which is an important part of any compensation claim.

An orthopaedic report is often needed when a client claims compensation due to an accident or clinical negligence. It can help the legal team determine whether a healthcare professional has breached their duty of care and that this contributed to the client's injuries.

An expert providing an orthopaedic report would need relevant training and certification. They should not be a GP, which could be seen as a conflict of interest. Instead, they would need to be a specialist or orthopaedic surgeon with a specific interest in the type of injury your client has suffered. They would then need to arrange an appointment and carry out a detailed examination of the injuries.

WHY SHOULD I NEED AN ORTHOPAEDIC REPORT?

In medical negligence cases, an orthopaedic report can be used to demonstrate whether a healthcare professional breached their duty of care. The expert's professional opinion can be used to establish whether the alleged negligence directly caused or contributed to the client's injuries.

When solicitors and lawyers need to prove an accident's impact on their clients, orthopaedic reports are invaluable tools. An orthopaedic report can give an in-depth look at a patient's injuries and help solicitors understand how their client's injury will affect their quality of life in the future.

GPs are often commissioned to write orthopaedic reports but may not have the required full, detailed knowledge of musculoskeletal injuries. Therefore, it is much more common for medico-legal agencies to source an expert for this type of report as they will have a detailed list of medical professionals who can deliver this. The process typically involves creating an instruction letter and then liaising with the expert to arrange an appointment.

HOW CAN I GET AN ORTHOPAEDIC REPORT?

Orthopaedic reports are created by medical experts who specialise in the type of injury or condition involved in the case. They interview and examine the client, review relevant clinical notes and X-rays and write a detailed report that can be used in court proceedings.

To get an orthopaedic report, solicitors need to create an instruction letter that sets out the circumstances of their client's accident and injuries. They need to send these documents to the medical expert, ideally through a medico-legal agency that can handle this process on their behalf.

The medical expert will then arrange an appointment to examine the client, ensuring that any underlying health issues are considered. They will create a comprehensive medical report, including their prognosis and the potential impact on their life. This evidence can help to strengthen compensation claims and establish causation in a legal case. 

WHAT SHOULD BE IN AN ORTHOPAEDIC REPORT?

An orthopaedic report is critical to any compensation claim for injuries, whether a road traffic accident or workplace accident. It can help strengthen the case, confirm injury severity and prognosis, and establish causation with the accident that caused the client to suffer.

A medical expert will provide a detailed description of the injury and its potential impact on their life. This can then be used to calculate their claim for damages.

An impartial expert must write an orthopaedic report. This is why GPs are not usually used to complete them, as they may be perceived as biased. Using an agency with a network of specialists, such as Red Health, is also a good idea.

CONCLUSION

This can save time and money as the agency will be able to find you an expert that specialises in your area of expertise. They will then liaise with the expert and the client to arrange an appointment that suits everyone.