Mobile Doctors aims to make the personal injury claim process more transparent with an online medical communication system.
One of the cornerstones of the Access to Justice reforms was to simplify and open communication between opposing parties, thus reducing the time and costs involved with litigation.
Mobile Doctors recently launched its website to help facilitate this. The site allows registered clients to find appropriately qualified examiners within the claimant's area. It also provides names and full CVs for every examiner as well as an individual database of examiners for each instructing party. Users can key in the name of the other party involved in the litigation process and are presented with only mutually acceptable examiners.
In addition to scanned CVs, Mobile Doctors is able to provide secure access to the site to provide information at different levels for all business partners. Insurers will be able to view and print off scanned copies of medical records and will be able to look at all correspondence received by and sent out from Mobile Doctors.
The completed medical report will be available online and there is full access to MIDAS, the case management system. Using this clients can see exactly what actions have taken place on a case and when. Instructing parties will even be able to make their own appointments directly with doctors, using the computerised diary.
Mobile Doctors marketing manager Paul Crowther says: "Once an insurer has created its own database of examiners with us, there is no longer the need for claimants' solicitors to submit names for approval, before an instruction goes ahead, as only examiners acceptable to the insurance company are listed.
"Insurers can see and print off every single piece of correspondence from each party as well as the examiner. They can have full confidence in the autonomy of the examiners, having had the opportunity to exclude any they do not want to use."
However, barriers and stumbling blocks remain that may yet prove Crowther's optimism misplaced. First, internet access must be provided for the claims handlers, a situation that is not yet common because of the potential for time wasting and abuse. This is by no means insurmountable, as systems can be set up to give access only to specific websites.
Perhaps the biggest hurdle of all is creating a real will on the part of claimants' solicitors to be more open in the progressing of claims and be prepared to lose a small amount of control in the best interests of efficiency, fairness and the welfare of claimants.
