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Welcome to the Medical Community Section
Welcome to the NYS Division of Disability Determinations Medical Community Home Page. This section is devoted to information of interest to the medical community in New York State.
Treating Physician's Role
In conducting their evaluation of an individual's application for disability, DDD's disability analysts and medical consultants assess the
functionally limiting effects of a medically determinable impairment on the
claimant's ability to do basic work activities. The disability analysts and
medical consultants review the evidence from treating physicians, consultative
physicians and laboratories, and other sources, such as health care professionals
and lay organizations and persons.
In reviewing the claimant's file, importance is placed on the opinion of the treating physician. One of the primary tools used by DDD is completion of a medical questionnaire designed to elicit information related to the impairment(s) being reviewed.
Importance of the Medical Opinion
In relying on the treating physician's medical opinion, the DDD disability analysts and medical consultants look to see to what extent that opinion is supported by medically acceptable clinical and laboratory diagnostic techniques. Whether a medical opinion is well-supported will depend on the facts of each case. It is a judgment that DDD disability analysts and medical consultants must make based on the extent to which the opinion is supported and requires an understanding of the clinical signs and laboratory findings in the case record and what they signify.
The Treating Source has an essential role in providing medical evidence about their patients who file for disability benefits. The Treating Source's medical opinion, aided by clinical and laboratory results, provides important insight and establishes consistency for other evidence. It is because of this essential role, that the evidence and questionnaires by the medical treating source deserve the time and attention needed to complete them for review by the DDD disability analysts and medical consultants.