Christopher Brigham, MD

Brigham and Associates, Inc. is dedicated to improving healthcare and the disability and claims systems to ensure accurate decisions and prevent needless disability. We accomplish this through web-based resources, training, speaking, writing, and consultation.

We provide the finest in medicolegal education, at www.emedicolegal.com,  including training on the use of the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment.

Consultation services range from case analysis to system process redesign. We apply best practices as reflected in evidence-based medicine and current national guidelines. Referrals are made online.

We are best known for our expertise in the assessment of impairment based on the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment. We review reports to determine the accuracy and, if they are not accurate, work with our clients to correct and/or challenge these erroneous assessments.

“We improve outcomes and reduce the human and financial costs associated with needless disability.”

We assist with complex issues often associated with state and federal workers’ compensation programs, Defense Based Act, Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Act, automobile casualty, and bodily injury claims. Our clients include physicians, other healthcare providers, insurers, claims organizations, attorneys (defense and plaintiff), employers, and government agencies. Referrals are made online.

Medical issues are often complex and require physician discernment, therefore all our analyses are completed by board-certified physicians with extensive experience with the Guides. Company founder Christopher R. Brigham, MD is one of the nation’s leading authorities on impairment and disability evaluation and management. Dr. Brigham is Senior Contributing Editor of the AMA Guides, Sixth Edition, Editor of the Guides Newsletter, and author of more than 275 publications.

Our web-based resources include:

  • www.emedicolegal.com – online learning resources on medicolegal issues, including AMA Guides, Fifth and Sixth Editions – Mastery
  • www.impairment.com – resources on impairment assessment
  • www.impairmentcheck.com – tools to assess the probable accuracy of an impairment rating, including training and tools
  • www.fifthedition.com – online training and resources for the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, Fifth Edition
  • www.sixthedition.com – online training and resources for the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, Sixth Edition
  • www.certifiedrater.com – certification for ability to use the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment
  • www.faithbasedclaims.org – Faith-Based Claims Association, ecumenical fellowship in faith and profession

ODG Impairment Check is a software platform powered by ImpairmentCheck® developed by Brigham and Associates, Inc. This will be available as an add-on to the ODG by MCG User Interface in 2020.

ODG Impairment Check is an efficient screening and education tool providing guidance on probable impairment — based on the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Editions) — for most ratable injuries and illnesses. This patented solution helps insurers, third-party administrators (TPAs), and employers identify erroneous permanent impairment ratings and drive accurate assessments. It is also useful in estimating the typical impairment rating associated with a specific diagnosis, particularly for reserving purposes.