What to Expect at an Independent Medical Evaluation

This page reflects our understanding of mental health topics as of 2026. If you are reading this at a later date, some details may no longer be current, so please verify anything important against up to date sources. If you notice anything that needs updating, we would welcome you letting us know.

An independent medical evaluation (IME) is an assessment completed by a qualified professional who is not your treating clinician, to give an objective opinion about your health for an insurance, workplace, or legal matter. A psychological IME, sometimes called a psycho-legal assessment, looks at mental health concerns such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, or changes in thinking after an event like a car crash or workplace injury. It usually involves a detailed interview, standardized questionnaires or tests, and a review of records, followed by a written report that answers specific questions from the person or organization that requested it. An IME is not therapy, and the psychologist's role is to be impartial.

Why IMEs Are Requested

IMEs are commonly requested in situations such as:

• Insurance and disability claims. Long-term disability insurers may want to understand whether a mental health condition affects your ability to work.
• Motor vehicle crashes. An insurer or lawyer may want an opinion on psychological injuries after a collision, such as PTSD after a car crash.
• Workplace matters. Employers or workers' compensation boards may request an opinion about fitness for work, accommodations, or a work-related injury.
• Legal proceedings. Lawyers may request an assessment to understand the psychological impact of an event.

The questions asked might include diagnosis, how symptoms relate to the event, current functioning, prognosis, and recommended treatment.

What Happens During the Evaluation

1. Introduction and consent. The psychologist explains who requested the assessment, their role, how the report will be used, and the limits of confidentiality, which differ from therapy.
2. Clinical interview. Questions about your history, the event, your symptoms, daily functioning, work, relationships, and health.
3. Testing. Standardized questionnaires and tests of mood, trauma symptoms, personality, or thinking skills. Some measures also check how consistently and accurately responses reflect symptoms, which is standard practice in these assessments.
4. Record review. Medical, therapy, employment, or other relevant records provided by the referral source.
5. Report. The psychologist integrates all the information into a written report addressing the referral questions.

An IME may take several hours, sometimes across more than one appointment.

How an IME Differs From Therapy

In therapy, your clinician works for you and focuses on your recovery. In an IME, the psychologist provides an independent opinion, usually for a third party, and does not provide treatment. The report typically goes to the person or organization that requested it rather than directly to you, depending on the arrangement and applicable law. If you need support for symptoms, an IME can sit alongside therapy with a separate clinician. If your crash happened in BC, therapy may be covered by ICBC, as described on the page about psychological support after a car crash in BC.

How to Prepare

• Bring identification and any documents requested, such as a list of medications and treating providers.
• Answer honestly and as accurately as you can. Describe both difficulties and things you can still do.
• It is okay to say you do not know or do not remember.
• Ask for a break if you need one. Tiredness and stress are understandable during a long assessment.
• Ask questions at the start about who will receive the report and how it will be used.

It is normal to feel nervous. The page about what a psychological assessment is explains general assessment steps, and the page about what is included in a psychological assessment report describes typical reports.

Getting Support at Pacific Maple Psych Centre

If you have been asked to attend an independent medical evaluation, or you need an objective psychological opinion for an insurance or legal matter, our psychologists can help.