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99

Consultant's experience              1%

 

Duration of examination                    1%

Patient's medical history                   49%

 

Account of accident                          97%

Immediate effects                              97%

Treatment received                            96%

 

General examination                          13%

 

Opinion on consistency findings/complaints 38%

Diagnosis                                            83%

Prognosis                                            95%

 

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 17.4 It is perhaps hard to believe that 17% of such report had no diagnosis.

 

 17.5 It is a common feature of experts reports that they fail to state their expertise.  The findings by Cornes et al. support this general oversight. 

 

 17.6 Residual disability is one of the key factors in whiplash cases.  Cornes found that:

 

 "Commentary on lost or reduced functions ... was found in reporting on all but four patients.  It embraces three broad topics - expected permanence of disability, likelihood of future complications (e.g. osteoarthritis or epilepsy) and severity of disability.  Generally the first two topics are reported clearly and appropriately, providing recipients with a good picture of what the future is likely to hold in store for each patient.  In contrast, in many - if not most -  cases, anticipated functional loss is expressed in generalised and imprecise terms.  Observations like "the usual limitation of inversion/eversion of the foot" or "impaired manual dexterity" are commonplace."5