Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a multi-disciplinary assessment?
A multi-disciplinary assessment means that a number of health care professionals with different types of medical training participate in the assessment. At the Welcome Back Centre the assessment team consists of a minimum of 4 assessors. Each assessment is individuals for the client. The team members involved in the assessment are determined by the nature and complexity of the persons problem.
2. What is an assessment team?
Each assessment team includes one or more physicians, one or more biomechanical providers, a nutritionist and a psychologist or clinical councilor. The size of the team varies between four and ten assessors depending on the individuals condition.
3. How does the assessment work?
Each assessor spends 60 - 90 minutes doing their individual evaluation. The members of the team then meet to discuss their findings and determine a differential diagnosis, which is a list of possible causes for the persons medical problem. Based on these possible causes, the team will make recommendations for investigations and treatment. The physician involved in the assessment then meets with the client to review the teams findings. The total time involved in the assessment varies between 6 and 12 hours and often occurs over a number of days.
4. Who are the members of the assessment team?
The physicians available at the Welcome Back Centre include a neurosurgeon, an anesthetist who specializes in chronic pain and a general practitioner with special training in sports medicine. The biomechanical providers include a physiotherapist, a chiropractor, an occupational therapist and a massage therapist who is also trained as a kinesiologist.
5. How soon can I get an assessment ?
Most assessments can be arranged within 4 - 8 weeks
6. Who should have a multi-disciplinary assessment?
People who have a pain condition which is interfering with their lifestyle or ability to work would benefit from this type of assessment, especially if their pain has persisted for more than 3 months.
7. How much does a multi-disciplinary assessment cost?
The cost of the multi-disciplinary assessment varies depending on who is involved in the assessment team. Each assessment is individualized depending on the patients medical condition. Please contact the clinic for more information.