Rolle des beratenden Arztes

The role of a doctor appointed to advise an employers’ liability insurance association can only develop from the tasks entrusted to him or her by the administrative offices. In the past, these related mainly to providing help in formal administratative procedures. Questions on how treatment should proceed and active involvement in this complex were not considered the province of doctors retained in an advisory capacity except to a limited degree and in most cases in a rather late phase. For the past few years, many insurance associations have been redefining their tasks relating to treatment. New concepts, the introduction of guidelines, staff training, and the active inclusion of medical knowledge to influence administrative decisions in concrete individual situations have meant new groups of tasks for the consulting doctor. The employers’ liability insurance associations are increasingly in need of access to medical knowledge, and especially at short notice, resulting in an enhanced need for medical advice and spatial and temporal integration of medical work in the individual administrative offices. It is no longer realistic to have access to medical expertise only after office hours or when file is submitted.