Disability Issues in Emergency Physicians

As the average age of emergency physicians increases, the emergency physician becomes prone to the development of potentially disabling conditions that might affect his or her ability to practice emergency medicine. Emergency physicians may not have a full understanding of the assessment of disability or of the legal, financial, and technical issues involved. The authors report 3 cases of emergency physicians who experienced severe disabilities and were unable to return to the practice of emergency medicine. All 3 physicians had long-term disability insurance policies that enabled them to financially maintain their pre-disability standard of living, despite the devastating effects of the specific disability itself. The authors strongly advise emergency physicians to have a long-term disability policy in effect at all times and review the issues associated with the assessment of disability, as well as the legal, financial, and technical issues.