The MRI and patient testimony don't line up. So what's next?

Dr. Michael Dooley is an orthopedic surgeon with 30 years of medico-legal experience.

Host Jess Marshall asks the questions every medico-legal expert faces:

• What do you do when imaging and symptoms don't line up?
• How much weight do you put on an MRI versus what you see in the room?
• When is uncertainty acceptable in a report?
• How do you establish causation when the mechanism is murky?

Dr. Dooley's approach prioritizes clinical assessment over imaging findings. He distinguishes between frank malingering (rare) and psychological amplification of pain (common). And his guiding principle for avoiding overconfidence:

"Never say never, never say always."

Dr. Dooley covers diagnostic hierarchy, causation principles, managing disproportionate pain presentations, handling hostile patients stuck in the system, and why stating uncertainty is professionally superior to forcing a diagnosis that doesn't hold up.

Medico-Legal Mastery is proudly supported by Melbourne Medicolegal.

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