Assesment of Physical Impairment and Disability Evaluation: Problem of Present System and Design for Better System.

Lee, Kyeong Seok

Original Article

Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society 1994;23(3): 276-282.

Department of Neurosurgery, Soonchunhyang University Chonan Hospital, Chonan, Korea.

ABSTRACT

The assesment of physical impairment and disability evaluation must be precise and equitable to minimize a disadvantage on both claimer and obligator that may result from the unreasonable medical judgement. However, present systems are considered to be out of date, vague and inequitable to assess physical impairment and disability. A new guide for assessment of physical impairment and disability evaluation is required. As a guide for assessment of physical impairment, the American Medical Association's Guide can be used as a model, and a method of the disability evaluation, the Occupational Grading of Disability to Impairment Variants which is suggested by Korean Labor Ministry can be used. As a supplementary guide for disability evaluation, an adaptability index is proposed. The disability may be affected with the personal adaptability and care for the daily life, which may be improved by several personal factors, as age, occupation, life style, level of education, IQ, and a will for social adaptation. The adaptability index is suggested as a guide for a reasonable evaluation of the disability to be correlated to several factors during the life, which may be necessary for calcluation of the disable duration and correction of the cared duration. The final degree of a disability must be assessed as summation to be correlated to several factors which may be affected to physical disability.

Key Words: Physical impairment; Disability; Medical Judgement; Reparation; Compensation