Core Online Courses
Core Courses
While the outline for the Core Course Modules may appear to be similar to other course work that the doctor has previously completed, these courses are all presented in terms of motor vehicle injuries. This includes understanding how these injuries occur, how to diagnose them, how to manage care of them, and how to properly document them so that the attorney can present the highest quality demand letter and attain the best possible settlement or judgement for their injured client.
This is why these core courses are required for completion of the Certificate in Motor Vehicle Injuries, CMVI. That said, any doctor who has completed substantially similar course work can apply to have that work considered for advanced standing toward the certificate.
Outcomes Assessment Tools for Motor Vehicle Injuries
About this course
Add expertise to your practice and improve your ability to diagnose, evaluate, and treat conditions found in motor vehicle injuries.
This 15-hour module will focus on accepted outcomes assessment tools as a means to document progress. This will include:
- How to score each questionnaire;
- What do those scores mean, and when to use each of these;
- How to analyze the wording of the questions to further understand what is being addressed and how that will lead to additional diagnoses.
Course Purpose and Objective
Purpose: To explain the importance of outcomes assessment tools, OATs, in documenting motor vehicle injuries
Objective: Give the provider additional tools to document improvement or failure to improve.
Summary
- Questionnaires: This section will focus on the more commonly used questionnaires that are most helpful in understanding a new patient’s injuries and how they have been affected by them.
- Spinal Questionnaires: Since most motor vehicle injuries include spinal trauma this section will again address the questionnaires and individual questions. Attention will also be given to scoring these and what changes in those scores mean to the practitioner.
- Extremity Questionnaires: This section will focus on extremity tools again emphasizing how to score each and how to interpret the scores.
- Concussion Questionnaires: These vary from most others so this section will focus on those differences along with what the finding means for diagnosing, treating, and determining the need for referral.
How to Diagnose Ligament Injuries with Digital Motion X-Ray
This module will discuss the need in the market for doctors with advanced education and understanding of how spinal ligaments can be injured in motor vehicle accidents.
In this 15 hour continuing education course, you will learn:
- How ligaments are damaged in motor vehicle accidents
- Guidelines for how to analyze and document these injuries
- How to manage these injuries
Course Purpose and Objective
Purpose: To analyze spinal injuries including ligaments, discs and bony structures.
Objective: Cover the diagnostic and treatment issues related to spinal ligament and bony injuries in a hyper extension/flexion,
Summary
- Anatomy and physiology of spinal ligament and osseous injuries will be discussed.
- Mechanism of spinal injuries will be discussed
- Understanding how spinal structures can be damaged will simplify diagnosis and treatment of this condition
- Documenting by reproducible measurement will be discussed
- Documenting the extent of injury will be discussed with an introduction to impairment rating
Case Management For Motor Vehicle Injuries
This course will address how each health care provider can expect to be involved in the care of a patient injured in a motor vehicle collision. It will be presented in a flow chart format to allow the student to understand the factors to consider in choosing the next co-management decision.
In this 10 hour continuing education course, you will learn:
- The first choices injured parties make to address their motor vehicle injuries from the ER to home care and self-management.
- Other health care providers a patient would most likely be referred to and why.
- Basic forms to get started with on a case
- Specific home therapies and DME, durable medical equipment
- The need for future care and medical validation
Course Purpose and Objective
Purpose: To establish a protocol in the care, management and co-management of a PI patient
Objective: Understand how each health care provider can expect to be involved in the care of a patient injured in a motor vehicle accident
Summary
- Understanding how each healthcare provider fits into a case
- What to look for in other provider’s reports
- How specific wording in reports can affect a case
- How to work successfully with other healthcare providers
- How to educate other providers on additional diagnostic testing
- What initial forms are an integral part of a PI file
Concussions & Cranial Nerve Exam of Motor Vehicle Injuries
We know that half of all concussions occur in motor vehicle collisions (MVC) and that it is estimated 70-80% of people involved in a MVA will suffer a concussion. While symptoms that should lead to a diagnosis the word “concussion” rarely appears in files from chiropractors, medical doctors or even emergency departments.
In this 15 hour continuing education course, you will learn:
- What gets injured in a mild traumatic brain injury
- How to perform a complete examination to document the injuries and progress
- What therapies can be used in office or at home
Course Purpose and Objective
Purpose: to make doctors aware of the symptomology, diagnosing and treatment of this ultimate soft tissue injury.
Objective: understanding mechanism and dynamics of injury, symptomology and proper testing to diagnose concussions
Summary
- Clinical findings are discussed and demonstrated.
- Diagnosis and treatment is made simple through understanding the mechanism and dynamics of brain trauma
- The most common symptoms and structures injured will be addressed
- Complicating factors that will commonly be seen in motor vehicle injuries
- Complete cranial nerve examination.
- Additional testing that can be done in office or referred out
Ethics & Legal Issues in Motor Vehicle Injuries
Any doctor working with a personal injury case needs to understand the legal process. This includes the need for a preponderance of evidence, insurance company tactics and what the plaintiff’s attorney does.
In this 10 hour continuing education course, you will learn:
- Ethics for personal injury
- Insurance company tactics in personal injury cases,
- Legal definitions, and
- How to testify in arbitration, deposition and court.
Course Purpose and Objective
Purpose: To present the legal side of the equation
Objective: Understanding the legal issues relating to documentation and to prepare the doctor do defend their documentation at each step of the legal process..
Summary
- Ethics for doctors doing PI work
- Legal issues will be discussed.
- Colossus and similar programs will be analyzed
- IME’s will be addressed from the insurance company perspective and in rebuttal.
- Rules of evidence will be presented in terms of documentation.
- How to present your findings in arbitration and deposition will be presented.
Extremity Exam
Documentation & Coding for Motor Vehicle Injury
Add expertise to your practice and improve your ability to diagnose, evaluate, and treat conditions found in motor vehicle injuries.
This 10 hour module will review all the steps to be documented for PI cases.
- Documentation in terms of validating the diagnoses and justifying continued care
- Information attorneys need to present a demand letter
- Tools to document in a way that any other doctor will be able to read their notes and know the case as well as the treating doctor
- Copies of forms will be made available to attendees.
Course Purpose and Objective
Purpose: To simplify protocols for the progression of analysis and treatment these areas.
Objective: Teach providers the tools and processes to properly document motor vehicle injuries to communicate with other providers, meet the need of attorneys and insurance companies.
Summary
- Understanding what the insurance company expects in the way of documentation
- What attorneys need in order to create an effective demand letter
- Knowing what to include in SOAP notes that can make or break a case
- The importance of documenting a complete physical examination including what was found and what was not found.
- Forms, codes and information needed to provide the attorney with a useful report.
Whole Person Impairment Rating, 6th Edition, for Motor Vehicle Injuries
Note: a course on 5th Edition of the Guides is offered for doctors in states that still use the 5th Edition
Understanding and utilizing the AMA Guides to Permanent Impairment is essential for anyone doing personal injury work. This class will focus on the 6th Edition, the most current that is generally accepted by automobile insurance companies. This course concludes with updates for 6th Edition 2021 & 2022.
In this 15 hour continuing education course, you will learn:
- The difference between impairment and disability,
- How to determine MMI, Maximum Medical Improvement and MCI, Maximum Chiropractic Improvement
- How to determine an impairment rating for spinal and extremity injuries
- How to determine an impairment rating for concussion related symptoms
Course Purpose and Objective
Purpose: To simplify protocols for the assessment of permanent whole body impairment rating.
Objective: Cover the use of the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, Sixth Edition
Summary
- Understanding the importance on impairment rating.
- Learn the importance of history and examination in determining impairment.
- Know which diagnoses are used in spinal impairment rating.
- Learn which clinical testing can increase the impairment rating
- Understand why range of motion can be used for extremities but not spinal impairment rating.
- Learn how multiple injured areas are considered in a whole person permanent impairment rating.
Mechanism of Injury in Motor Vehicle Collisions
This course will focus on the mechanism of injury in a motor vehicle collision and how the forces and vectors affect different body parts that can be injured.
In this 10 hour continuing education course, you will learn:
- the effects of different factors in the mechanics of a crash
- how the dynamics of bodily motion differ from vehicular movement
- our pre-existing conditions increase the risk of further injury
Course Purpose and Objective
Purpose: To understand how different vectors and forces affect structures that can be injured.
Objective: Cover all the variables both mechanical and dynamic involved in causing injuries in motor vehicle collisions.
Summary
- This will focus on mechanics versus dynamics of injury separating difference of gender, age, size and position from the forces and damage to the vehicle.
- Clinical findings are discussed and demonstrated.
- Understanding the risks of pre-existing conditions and how they are affected in a motor vehicle collision.
- Live subject videos as well as crash tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, IIHS will be used
Med Leg
History, Physical Examination & Diagnosis of Motor Vehicle Injuries
This 20 hour course will focus on history, examination and diagnosis of injuries commonly seen in motor vehicle collisions. Together with the courses on mechanism of injury and concussions/cranial nerve exam they represent 45 hours of coursework in this area.
In this 20 hour continuing education course you will learn:
- How to take a complete history to establish injuries and causation
- How to perform a proper orthopedic/neurologic examination
- How to diagnose precisely which ligaments, discs, muscles, and nerves have been injured
- Mechanics & Dynamics of Extremity Injuries
Course Purpose and Objective
Purpose: To simplify protocols for the progression of analysis and treatment of physical injuries.
Objective: Cover the examination and diagnostic of spinal and extremity injuries in motor vehicle collisions.
Summary
- Lumbo-Sacral Exam and Diagnosis: This section will be devoted to examination of the thoraco-lumbar and lumbo-sacral spine with an emphasis on how each test relates to motor vehicle injuries found, and often overlooked in these areas. This will include examination and diagnosis with an understanding of how these finding influence impairment ratings with the AMA Guides.
- Cervical & Thoracic Exam and Diagnosis: This section will be devoted to examination of the cervical and cervico-thoracic spine with an emphasis on how each test relates to motor vehicle injuries found, and often overlooked in these areas. This will include examination and diagnosis with an understanding of how these findings influence impairment ratings with the AMA Guides.
- Extremity exam and diagnosis: This section will be devoted to examination of the upper and lower extremities with an emphasis on how each test relates to motor vehicle injuries found, and often overlooked in these areas. This will include examination and diagnosis with an understanding of how these finding influence impairment ratings with the AMA Guides. Our
- Common Motor Vehicle Injuries: This will focus on the types of injuries to look for with motor vehicle accidents.
Spinal Exam
Spinal Lig Injury
Radiology for Motor Vehicle Injuries
Add expertise to your practice and improve your ability to diagnose, evaluate, and treat conditions found in motor vehicle injuries.
In this 30 hour continuing education course, you will learn:
- Which x-rays to take and what to look for on each,
- How to read MRI’s,
- Which brain scans to use and how to interpret them
Course Purpose and Objective
Purpose: To simplify the protocols for the use of radiograph to diagnose motor vehicle injuries.
Objective: Cover the procedures for proper use of radiography and diagnostic analysis in terms of motor vehicle injuries.
Summary
- X-ray with an emphasis on how to read them in terms of motor vehicle injuries and in terms of AMA Guides ratings
- when to perform CT and MR
- different MR scans for specific conditions
- measurable findings to demonstrate spinal stenosis and measure ligament laxity
Whole Person Impairment Rating, 5th Edition, for Motor Vehicle Injuries
Understanding and utilizing the AMA Guides to Permanent Impairment is essential for anyone doing personal injury work. This class will focus on the 5th Edition for doctors in states that are still using this edition.
In this 15 hour continuing education course, you will learn:
- The difference between impairment and disability,
- How to determine MMI, Maximum Medical Improvement and MCI, Maximum Chiropractic Improvement
- How to determine an impairment rating for spinal and extremity injuries
- How to determine an impairment rating for concussion related symptoms
Course Purpose and Objective
Purpose: To simplify protocols for the assessment of permanent whole body impairment rating.
Objective: Cover the use of the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, Fifth Edition
Summary
- Understanding the importance on impairment rating.
- Learn the importance of history and examination in determining impairment.
- Know which diagnoses are used in spinal impairment rating.
- Learn which clinical testing can increase the impairment rating
- Understand why range of motion can be used for extremities but not spinal impairment rating.
- Learn how multiple injured areas are considered in a whole person permanent impairment rating.