The quality of an IME or document review report is shaped long before the assessment happens — at the moment of referral. A complete, well-framed referral gets you a sharper opinion, fewer follow-up questions, and a faster turnaround. An incomplete one means delays at intake while we chase records or clarify what you actually need. Here’s how to get it right the first time.
1. Tell us the question you need answered
This is the single most important thing — and the most commonly skipped. A report is only as useful as the question it’s built to answer. “Please assess Mr. Smith” produces a generic report; “Is the claimant’s current low-back impairment causally related to the March 2025 workplace incident, and what are their present functional limitations?” produces an opinion you can actually use.
Frame it as specific, answerable questions. Causation? Current function? Prognosis? Treatment reasonableness? The more precisely you ask, the more precisely we can answer — and the harder the opinion is to challenge later.
2. Send the relevant records and flag the key ones
For a document review, the records are the assessment, so completeness is everything. For an IME, they give the examiner essential context. Helpful records typically include:
- Relevant clinical notes and consultation reports
- Diagnostic imaging and test results (and the reports interpreting them)
- Prior assessments or treating-specialist opinions
- Accident/incident reports or claim documentation, where relevant
- Any surveillance or functional evidence you want considered
If a particular document is central — a key MRI, a contradictory note — say so. Pointing us to what matters speeds up the work and sharpens the result.
3. Identify the specialty (if you know it)
If your question is orthopedic, psychiatric, or physiatric in nature, telling us helps us match the right examiner faster. If you’re not sure, that’s fine — describe the condition and we’ll recommend the appropriate specialty.
4. Be clear about timeline and urgency
Tell us your real deadline — a hearing date, a benefit decision, a limitation period. We confirm turnaround at booking, and knowing your constraints up front lets us commit to a date that actually works for you rather than discovering a conflict later.
5. Share logistics for the claimant
For an IME, the claimant’s preferred location or city, language needs, accessibility requirements, and best contact number all help us schedule smoothly and treat them with the care they deserve. Smooth scheduling means fewer no-shows and faster reports.
A quick pre-send checklist
- ✓ Specific question(s) the report must answer
- ✓ Relevant records attached, key ones flagged
- ✓ Assessment type (or “not sure”)
- ✓ Specialty, if known
- ✓ Real deadline and urgency level
- ✓ Claimant contact details and any logistics
Want this as a one-pager? Download our free 5-Minute Referral Checklist from the Resources page — built to keep right beside your intake process.