ARLINGTON, VA. – Every company is strongly invested in its employees' ability to do their jobs, Ronald Schouten, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Academy of Organizational and Occupational Psychiatry.
Companies with concerns about an employee's mental health will often call in a psychiatrist for a fitness-for-duty evaluation. An independent evaluation differs from a clinical evaluation in several ways, said Dr. Schouten, director of the law and psychiatry service at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
In a clinical evaluation, the psychiatrist focuses on the diagnosis and relief of symptoms and acts as a patient advocate. An independent fitness-for-duty evaluation, however, is an objective, functional assessment conducted by a third party for the benefit of the employer, to determine whether the patient is capable of doing his or her job.
Everything a psychiatrist writes in a fitness-for-duty evaluation can be made available if the case involves a lawsuit, Dr. Schouten said. However, most employers simply want to know whether or not the person is fit for work, and what, if any, special accommodations he or she needs. A postevaluation report can generally be brief, as long as it includes the following elements:
▸ Identification of the person.
▸ An explanation of why the person was referred.
▸ Consent forms and limits of confidentiality.
▸ Job description and the job functions.
▸ Medical and psychological history that is deemed relevant.
▸ Observations related to fitness for duty.
▸ Recommendations for treatment and/or return to work.
In addition, a detailed report typically includes results from a mental status exam and other tests that were administered.