International Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Open Access
ISSN: 2329-9096
ISSN: 2329-9096
Medical Economics, former Associate Professor, LSU Medical Center, Louisiana, USA
Mini Review
The Physiatrist is the Gateway to Predicting Accurate Future Medical Care
Author(s): 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 a.. View More»