Evaluation of Working Ability of the Workers Suffering from Cardiovascular Diseases

Basic knowledge needed by clinicians for treating work incapacity and performing effective impairment and disability evaluations includes an awareness of the distinction between impairment and disability, the regulations of specific disability systems, familiarity with the impairment rating process, and a sensitivity to the social and legal contexts of disability. The health care provider willing to become more informed about the process of impairment and disability determinations can provide an important service to patients. Patients frequently present to clinicians with a chief complaint (or symptom) of inability to work. Such visits may be triggered by: 1. the patients need for medical treatment to return to work, or 2. a requirement for medical evaluation or certification of „disability“ by employers, insurance companies, or governments agencies. The medical evaluation and treatment of work incapacity is surprisingly complicated, both medically and sociologically, and provides unique challenges to the clinician. The purpose of this chapter is to increase clinician’s effectiveness in dealing with work incapacity by describing 1. key definitions related to the disability evaluation process, 2. common features of disability insurance plans, 3. the clinicians role in the disability evaluation process and 4. the unresolved controversies and potential conflicts for the clinician.