Guidelines for the assessment of permanent impairment Version 3

Chapter 1Introduction to the WorkCover Tasmania GuidelinesIntroduction1.1 These Guidelines have been developed in accordance with section 72(1)(a) of the WorkersRehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (the Act), for the purpose of assessing the degree ofpermanent impairment arising out of a work-related injury.1.2 These Guidelines are based on the American Medical Association publication “Guides to theEvaluation of Permanent Impairment”, 4th Edition, 3rd Printing (1995) (AMA 4 Guides). However, inthese Guidelines there are some very significant departures from that document. Medical assessorsundertaking impairment assessments for the purposes of the Act must read these WCT Guidelines inconjunction with the AMA 4 Guides (or in the case of respiratory diseases the AMA 5 Guidelines).These WCT Guidelines are definitive with regard to the matters they address. Where they aresilent on an issue, the AMA 4 Guides should be followed. In particular, Chapters 1 and 2 of theAMA 4 Guides should be read carefully in conjunction with this Chapter of the WCT Guidelines.Some of the examples in AMA 4 are not valid for the assessment of impairment under the Act.It may be helpful for medical assessors to mark their working copy of the AMA 4 Guides withthe changes required by these WCT Guidelines.1.3 The convention used in these Guidelines is that if the text is in bold, it is a directive as to how theassessment is performed.Definition of disease and injury1.4 As defined in the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988:"disease""injury"means any ailment, disorder, defect, or morbid condition, whether of sudden orgradual development;includes:(a) a disease; and(b) the recurrence, aggravation, acceleration, exacerbation or deterioration of anypre-existing injury or disease where the employment was the major or mostsignificant contributing factor to that recurrence, aggravation, acceleration,exacerbation or deterioration;WCT Guidelines 1 October 2011 1