QME Report Update Shows Jump In Psych, Pain Assignments

The percentage of Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME) reports issued on psychiatric and pain-management issues in California have seen substantial increases in the past five years, according to the latest findings in a study of QMEs in the state.The request of QME panels related to psychiatric issues jumped from 6.5% of the QME requests in 2005 to 12.7% of the total in the first five months of 2010, while panels relating to pain management grew from 1.6% five years ago to 4.5% this year, according to Frank Neuhauser, project director of the University of California, Berkeley Survey Research Cent...