In a recent study of workers’ compensation injury cases, Electromyography (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Studies (NCSs), which were performed by physicians who were not evaluated and pre-determined to meet a certain level of quality, were discovered to be highly unreliable. In fact, 68 percent of the medical reports from these “non-prequalified” physicians were determined not to be medically useful.
One Call Medical, the nation’s premier leader in diagnostic testing for workers’ compensation, presented the study results at this year’s Annual American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) Meeting, and the results are also published in this month’s issue of Muscle & Nerve.
EMG and NCSs are essential in determining the existence and extent of muscle and nerve damage in an injured employee. When EMG and NCSs are performed incorrectly, treating physicians may make treatment decisions based on inaccurate information. This can derail a patient’s entire treatment plan, leading to unnecessary or inappropriate medical services, delays in recovery, and extended disability.
“In the field of electrodiagnostic medicine, the quality of providers varies widely,” said Dr. John Robinton, One Call Medical’s medical director and chairman of the Neurodiagnostic Medical Advisory Board. “The good news is One Call Medical has established a rigorous provider credentialing process, wherein we carefully select providers who meet and continually adhere to quality standards. By using this type of pre-qualified provider network, the workers’ compensation industry can ensure the medical usefulness of EMG and NCS results.”
The study reviewed 140 reports to assess the medical usefulness of EMG and NCS reports performed by providers who had not undergone a pre-qualification process. Each report was graded by an American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine board certified neurologist who was also certified in clinical neurophysiology. Failure to satisfy medical usefulness was determined by factors that included, but were not limited to: a lack of adherence to AANEM guidelines, incomplete examination information, and data inconsistency and unreliability.