Improving Impairment Rating Accuracy: A Novel Computational Approach to Determining Direct Impairment Focusing on Functional Loss

In workers' compensation settlements, assessing impairment is vital when an injured worker reaches Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI). This evaluation process utilizes the individual's medical history, physical examinations, and diagnostic tests to determine a Whole Person Impairment (WPI) score, according to the American Medical Association's Guide to Permanent Impairment, 5^th edition. The WPI score reflects the person's functional loss in daily activities which is crucial for calculating the permanent disability and corresponding financial settlement. The "Functional Loss Rating" (FLR) method introduced here is an innovative computational model designed as an alternative to the traditional "Four Corners Rating" (FCR) method. The FLR approach emphasizes functional loss and aims to deliver WPI assessments more quickly, easily, and cost-effectively than the FCR method. In this study, the FLR and FCR methods were compared for cases involving the shoulder, lumbar spine, and knee. WPI scores obtained with both methods were consistent for shoulder and lumbar spine injuries, and it is proposed here that the FLR method improves upon the FCR method for knee injuries by more accurately focusing on functional loss.