Many individuals with physical or mental disabilities have physicians or practitioners who are supportive of their effort to obtain disability benefits. This can certainly be beneficial to an individual’s case. However, the usefulness of these sentiments depends largely on how the supportive medical provider actually articulates their opinion.
A note that simply states “my patient X is disabled” or “my patient X is unable to work” is of little value in your disability claim. Your doctor needs to show his/her work and address your specific limitations whether they be physical or mental. Moreover, these will need to be supported by the treatment records. In other words, if your provider notes elsewhere in your medical records that you seem to be doing well, do not have issues with standing or walking, etc., but writes that you are unable to perform any type of work, that opinion will have limited usefulness because of the inconsistencies.
Ideally, a provider will complete what is known as a medical source statement that identifies specific sitting, standing, walking, and lifting restrictions they believe are warranted. They may also address whether or not they believe it would be reasonable to expect that you would be absent due to your disabilities in the event you attempted to work. Likewise, they can indicate whether or not it would be reasonable to expect that you would need extra breaks throughout the workday as a result of your impairments. In the case that a provider was completing a source statement pertaining to your mental health, they may indicate the degree of limitation you would have in terms of maintaining attention and concentration, interacting with coworkers, supervisors, and the public, or, again, whether or not you would require extra breaks during the workday or accrue absences as a result of the symptoms of your disability.
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