IME: information for referrers

Dr Laura Hamilton has experience in the provision of IME's for a variety of referring agents including WorkCover Queensland, Insurance Agencies, Lawyers and private employers.  Dr Hamilton is currently offering IME appointments via telehealth, so IME's are accessible Australia-wide.  Dr Hamilton has training in the Guidelines for the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (GEPI) including the use of the Psychiatric Impairment Rating Scale (PIRS) for assessment of Whole Person Impairment (WPI).
Dr Hamilton has a particular interest in IME's related to workplace injuries, chronic pain, adjustment disorders, somatoform disorders and functional disorders.  Her experience and expertise with child and adolescent psychiatry mean in addition to seeing adults she is also able to offer IME's for children and adolescents.
Dr Hamilton understands the need for prompt communication regarding booking appointments and responding to requests for information.  She undertakes to provide prompt and comprehensive reports which succinctly address the specific questions outlined in your referral.

Process for booking an IME

Email admin@thoughtfulhealth.com.au to briefly outline the issue and to request an appointment.  Include details of the referring agent (referring organisation contact name, email address and phone number) and details of the person being referred (person's name, date of birth, email address and phone number).  

 

Once an appointment has been confirmed all pre-reading must be emailed at least 1 week prior to the appointment, or earlier if there are more than 100 pages of pre-reading.

 

Costs involved

In general IME's are charged at $500 per hour plus GST.  This applies to pre-reading, appointment time and report-writing time.  Most IME's will require 1-2 hours of pre-reading, 90 minutes for an appointment, and 1-2 hours of report writing.  More complex cases may require additional time.  For children and adolescents it may be necessary to also have a parent-only appointment.  

 

Cancellation fees

No fees are charged if an appointment is cancelled with more than 1 week's notice

If an IME appointment is cancelled with less than 1 week's notice then the referring agent will be charged for pre-reading time.

If an IME appointment is cancelled with less than 2 business days' notice then the referring agent will be charged for pre-reading and allocated appointment time.

 

Interpreters

As all IME appointments with Dr Hamilton are currently conducted via telehealth this is generally not a suitable platform for people requiring interpreters due to the added complexities of communication via video.  

 

To book an IME with Dr Hamilton please email admin@thoughtfulhealth.com.au