Printing - FECA-PT2 - National Association of Letter Carriers

e. Employment history, including periods of wage loss and returns to full or light duty for the
present claim -- helps put the employee’s injury and work history in perspective. If the employee
did not stop work, that should be reported.
f. Mechanism of Injury -- helps the physician to form an opinion on the relationship of the
condition(s) diagnosed to the alleged injury and the severity or extent of the injury. In
occupational illness cases, this information would include factors of employment and exposure
data.
g. Condition(s) Claimed or Accepted -- allows the physician to assess whether the diagnoses
provided in the medical evidence to be reviewed are consistent with the conditions for which the
claim is filed or has been accepted.
h. In psychological/emotional stress claims, the CE will need to distinguish between those
workplace activities and circumstances which are factors of employment and those which are
outside the scope of employment for purposes of compensation. The CE must determine whether
the situations alleged actually existed or occurred.
The CE should divide any SOAF containing both work-related and non-work-related elements into
three parts, labeled as follows:
(1) Accepted Events that are Factors of Employment.
(2) Accepted Events that are Not Factors of Employment.
(3) Incidents Alleged which the Office Finds Did Not Occur.
Each incident should be numbered consecutively within the section to which it belongs.
ECAB has stated that such findings provide a proper frame of reference for the physician offering
an opinion on causal relationship. See Abe E. Scott, 45 ECAB 164, 174 (1993), in which ECAB
remanded the case for preparation of a SOAF addressing these factors.
2-0809-6 Optional Elements
6. Optional Elements.
a. Other elements may be included in the SOAF as described below, depending on the nature
of the condition claimed and the issues to be resolved. Virtually all of them should be included
when adjudicating an occupational illness claim, particularly where psychological/emotional stress
is implicated.
(1) Prior medical history, including prior workers’ compensation claims as appropriate.
(2) Medical treatment received, including initial medical treatment, surgeries, diagnostic
testing and other relevant medical procedures, but the CE should not give a recitation of
medical opinions or findings.
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