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For examinees

What happens at your assessment

An independent medical examination is an appointment with a doctor who is not your doctor, asked for by someone else. This page says what to bring, what happens on the day, and what your rights are.

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An examinee stands in a clinic waiting room in three-quarter profile hanging a dark wet winter jacket on a row of wall hooks with his left hand, a worn manila envelope of his....

The problem

This doctor is not your doctor

Someone else asked for this appointment: an insurer, an employer, a lawyer, or a tribunal. That party is the referrer. It chose the examiner and it framed the questions. The examiner looks at your records, sees you, and writes a report for the referrer. There is no treatment and no follow-up visit.

  • You do not know who ordered the assessment or why.
  • You do not know how long the appointment lasts.
  • You do not know what to bring.
  • You do not know who reads the report.
  • You do not know what happens if you cannot attend.

What changes

What IMECore does about it

  • You know who asked and why

    Your appointment letter names the referrer and the questions asked. If the reason is unclear, ask the party that referred you.

  • Bring a support person

    A support person can come with you and wait nearby. Ask in advance whether they may enter the exam room, since rules differ by province and by the party that ordered the assessment.

  • Pause or stop the exam

    You can ask for a break at any point, and you can stop the exam. What happened is written into the file.

  • Your records stay need-to-know

    The examiner sees the records the referrer sent, and nothing else. The privacy policy says who holds what and for how long.

  • Complain and be heard

    You are treated with respect from check-in to check-out. If the assessment itself was handled badly, tell the party that referred you or the clinic. If someone misused your information in the portal, the report-abuse page says how to report it and what to include.

  • Your details in the client portal

    Date, place, and appointment details sit in the client portal. Ask there if you need a different date.

How it runs

Four steps, start to finish

  1. 1

    Before the day

    Bring photo ID, your appointment letter, your glasses, any braces you use, and a list of your medications. Wear plain, comfortable clothing. Eat before you come, arrive early, and arrange childcare, since children cannot wait in the exam room.

  2. 2

    On the day

    How long it takes varies by assessment type, and your letter gives your time. A chaperone is a trained staff member present during the physical parts of the exam, and you can ask for one. If you need an interpreter, arrange it before the day. Ask for breaks when you need them.

  3. 3

    After the report

    The report goes to the party that ordered the assessment. To get a copy, write to that party or to us and name the province where the assessment took place, so your request reaches the right privacy path. British Columbia requests run under BC PIPA with a set response timeline; requests from other provinces are reviewed case by case. If the report has an error about you, say so in the same request and it is corrected or noted.

  4. 4

    If you cannot attend

    Tell the referrer and us as early as you can. A policy covers missed appointments, so ask what it says rather than simply not showing up. Missing the date can affect your claim or your file, so ask the party that referred you what happens next.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Is the examiner my doctor?

No. The examiner is a doctor chosen by the party that ordered the assessment. They assess you and write a report. They do not treat you and they do not become your doctor.

What do I bring?

Photo ID, your appointment letter, your glasses, any braces you use, and a list of your medications. Bring the referral letter too if you have one.

How long does it take?

That varies by assessment type. Your appointment letter gives your time, so plan around that and allow for waiting on the day.

Can someone come with me?

Usually yes. A support person may come with you and wait nearby, and some clinics allow them into the exam room. Say so in advance so the booking allows for it, since rules differ by province and by the party that ordered the assessment.

Will there be a chaperone?

A chaperone is a trained staff member present during the physical parts of the exam. You can ask for one, and the clinic arranges it.

What if I cannot attend?

Tell the referrer and us as early as you can. A policy covers missed appointments. If the assessment relates to a claim or a job, ask the party that referred you what missing it means for you.

Who sees the report?

The party that ordered the assessment receives it, along with the examiner and the coordination team that ran the file. Nobody else sees it without a legal reason.

Can I get a copy of the report?

Write to the party that ordered the assessment or to us, and name the province where the assessment took place. British Columbia requests run under BC PIPA with a set response timeline; requests from other provinces are reviewed case by case. The client portal tells you who to ask.

What are my rights?

Respect from check-in to check-out, privacy for your records, a support person with you, breaks when you need them, the right to stop the exam, and a way to complain. The privacy policy and the report-abuse page carry the detail.

How do I complain?

For how the assessment itself was handled, tell the party that referred you or the clinic, with what happened, when, where, and who was present. If someone misused your information in the portal, use the report-abuse page instead.

Is a video assessment the same?

The purpose and the report are the same. You join from a quiet, private room, show photo ID on camera, and do not record the session yourself. Consent is taken on the call before the exam starts.

Keep reading

Related pages

Refer a case, get back a signed report

Send the referral and the questions. A coordinator confirms the file and what it still needs, then IMECore coordinates the examination and delivers a signed report.

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