International Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Open Access

Abstract

The Physiatrist is the Gateway to Predicting Accurate Future Medical Care

Craig H. Lichtblau* and Bernard Pettingill

In the fragmented and often inaccessible U.S. healthcare system, individuals with catastrophic injuries and chronic impairments frequently rely on legal proceedings to secure funding for long-term medical care. Accurate medical projections are essential to these legal processes, yet most medical professionals lack the specialized training to assess and forecast lifelong care needs and costs effectively. This paper argues that physiatrists, physicians specialized in physical medicine and rehabilitation are uniquely qualified to perform this role due to their multidisciplinary training, longitudinal patient management, and expertise in functional impairment, rehabilitation, and cost estimation. This manuscript outlines a rigorous, peer-reviewed methodology physiatrists can apply to project future care requirements, costs, impairment ratings, and life expectancy in a legally defensible and clinically grounded manner. It further explores how systemic healthcare failures have positioned the legal system as a de facto provider of long-term care and why physiatrists must remain central to ensuring medically appropriate and economically justified outcomes. As the healthcare landscape grows increasingly complex and inaccessible, physiatrists serve as critical intermediaries in both clinical and legal contexts, bridging the gap between need and access.

Published Date: 2025-06-02; Received Date: 2025-05-02