My job has two very distinct sides. There is my work as a physician in physical medicine and rehabilitation, which I have been doing for over 30 years. Then there is the board-certified life care planning side, which is often termed the medical/legal side of the work I do. The former keeps me in my office, seeing and treating patients. The latter keeps me involved in casework as well, sometimes visiting a sick or injured individual in their home, hospital bed, rehab center, etc. The medical-legal side of my work also sometimes takes me into the courtroom. I am sometimes retained by attorneys, to be available to offer expert testimony, and weigh in or give opinions on a vast range of litigation matters.
I advocate for two things in my work; First for my patient (if that’s what is required of me as a treating or consulting physician with a doctor-patient relationship. I take that responsibility very seriously.) Secondly, I advocate for the truth as a trained, educated and experienced medical doctor who is serving as an expert in a particular area. I always intend to offer an educated and comprehensive look into any person’s life when they are dealing with a chronic disease or a painful injury. That’s why day-in-the-life videos are sometimes used for certain clients.
What is A Day-In-the-Life Video?
The concept is very straightforward. Using a professional videographer and their team, we document an individual’s entire day, beginning the moment they wake up. There is no editorializing or interference; our goal is to educate all interested parties as to the extent of an injury in an individual’s life. What challenges do they come across in eating, walking, or getting dressed? How much of their care comes from professionals or from friends and family?
It is so illuminating to watch a process as something as simple as going up the stairs for someone dealing with leg or spinal issues, or another chronic condition affecting their mobility. It is hard to understand the difficulties involved until you are seeing it with your own eyes.
A day-in-the-life video is a snapshot in time for a child or an adult. It can be helpful for consultants, specialists, therapists, and any other interested parties. And it is extremely effective telling the truth, particularly in litigation cases. We’ve seen these videos have far more impact than simply verbalizing the challenges faced by an individual. Finally, these “mini films” are perfectly appropriate for where we are with the pandemic. Zoom meetings, telehealth, etc. all keep us apart and video can bring us back together.
If you’d like to learn more about day-in-the-life videos or other tools used by our life care planning team, give us a call.