Qualified Medical Evaluator
Dr. Pfeiffer has been certified by the State of California as a Qualified Medical Evaluator eligible to conduct evaluations of applicants for the Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Workers’ Compensation, Medical Unit.
Address: 3010 First Avenue
San Diego, CA 92103
Telephone: 619.295.2189
Fax: 619.295.2362
Email: Stephen@PfeifferPhD.com
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Licensed Psychologist
PSY 23956
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Anyone who has ever experienced car accident trauma knows how all encompassing it can be, including everything from physical wounds to emotional upset and psychological trauma. However, in many cases, the full spectrum of these injuries is rarely recognized – and often, the mental and emotional effects of an accident are considered less important than bodily injuries.
Read the full article on the La Jolla Light here
Continue reading Healing after car accident trauma: taking emotional, physical and psychological factors into account
Managing workplace stressmay be crucial to long-term health, according to a recent report from the Washington Post. While most of us experience some form of stress throughout the day, be it from work or family, health or economic concerns, today’s society moves at a faster pace – and subsequently, seems to expect a higher stress threshold – than may be healthy.
Read the full article on the La Jolla Light here
Continue reading Managing workplace stress is key to combating serious health risks and preventing disability
From firefighters and EMTs to law enforcement officers and ER nurses, emergency services personnel spend their lives on the front lines, constantly exposed not only to dangerous circumstances but also traumatic scenes and events that can leave a lasting mark. Studies have shown that PTSD in first respondersand others who work under such circumstances is a common risk.
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Continue reading PTSD in first responders: emergency personnel’s repeated exposure to trauma can cause severe emotional stress
The holiday season is just around the corner, bringing with it a time for fun, festivity – and unfortunately, record-high stress levels both at work and at home. The American Institute of Stress (AIS) cites career concerns and workload as the leading stressors affecting the nation; and as most of us know, holiday plans and obligations can certainly compound those stressors.
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Continue reading Workplace stress management: therapeutic intervention can boost productivity and employee well being
Determining the right diagnosis in work comp cases can be a tricky business – one in which subtle or complex symptoms may be overlooked in some cases, and dishonest workers get away with malingering, or exaggerating illness for the sake of increased benefits, in others. According to a recent report for American Medical News (AMN), malingering presents a serious problem for health professionals, both in work comp cases and also in other circumstances ranging from simple work avoidance to requests for special accommodations.
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Continue reading How to deal with malingering in work comp cases: ensuring fair assessment for workers and employers alike
Earlier this month, lawmakers passed a new California workers’ compensation law that stands to enact a series of changes to the current system in an effort to cut insurance costs. According to CBS News, measure SB863 was approved in the California Senate by a 68-4 vote, and in the State Assembly by a similarly lopsided margin. However, while the vote went overwhelmingly in favor of the bill, the vast majority of those involved in the decision did not have an opportunity to even so much as read the measure prior to the floor vote, which was held on the last day of the Legislature’s session.
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Continue reading New California workers’ compensation law cuts mental health coverage, sparks concern among medical and legal communities
According to a recent report from theStanford School of Medicine, anxiety in the workplace ranks together with depression as one of the most costly and detrimental health risks among employees. As noted in our lastcolumn, employee depression takes an incredible toll on businesses, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting a cost of $17-44 billion per year due to sick days on account of unmanageable symptoms. However, a new study conducted in Norway shows that both depression and anxiety were both predictors of employee sick leave.
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Continue reading Anxiety in the workplace linked to high productivity loss, sickness absence
In past columns, we have touched on the connection between workplace depression – sometimes due to trauma or injury – and worker productivity. However, depression is also an illness in and of itself that can occur without discernible cause and wreak havoc on a patient’s health and company profits alike. The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) contends that workplace depression is a “common, chronic and often recurring disorder” with a substantial impact on all facets of employee and organizational performance.
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Continue reading Workplace depression: mental health treatment and employee productivity
Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a mental illness prompted by trauma or serious injury. While most often associated with the emotional or physical injury sustained by soldiers during combat, PTSD can arise out of any horrible or severely traumatic incident. Over the years, studies have shown a consistent link between symptoms of PTSD and orthopaedic trauma. Whether resulting from a violent encounter or a debilitating accident, such injuries may lead to PTSD in disabled patients – and in some cases, symptoms of the disorder may continue even after the physical injury itself is healed.
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Continue reading PTSD and orthopaedic trauma: identifying symptoms for effective rehabilitation and treatment
In response to the overwhelming number of returning veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries and related mental health concerns, the Department of Veterans Affairs has initiated an expansion of military mental health operations effective last month.
Read the full article on the La Jolla Light here
Continue reading Department of Veterans Affairs to increase military mental health resources
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