CDMS (The Commission CCM & CDMS Exams) flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Disability management definition

A coordinated, employer-based program that prevents avoidable disability and supports timely, safe return to work through early intervention, case management, accommodation, and outcome measurement.

Transitional work

Time-limited, productive work with duties or hours adjusted to a worker's current functional restrictions, used as a bridge to full-duty return and reviewed at defined intervals.

Modified duty

A temporary adjustment to the employee's own job, such as altered tasks, reduced hours, or equipment changes, to match documented functional capacity while recovery continues.

Alternate duty

Temporary assignment to a different existing position whose demands fit the worker's restrictions when the original job cannot be modified sufficiently.

Essential function

A fundamental duty of a position that must be performed, with or without accommodation; it is identified by employer documentation, not by the worker's medical condition.

Restrictions and limitations

Documented functional boundaries from a treating clinician, such as lifting limits or sit/stand tolerance, that are translated into work adjustments rather than used as a work prohibition.

Functional capacity evaluation

A structured assessment of physical and cognitive abilities against job demands, used to verify readiness for duty and to support accommodation or return-to-work planning decisions.

Interactive process

The ongoing, individualized dialogue between employer and employee to identify reasonable accommodations, documented by dates, participants, options considered, and the rationale for the chosen solution.

Reasonable accommodation

A change to the work environment, process, schedule, or equipment that enables a qualified person with a disability to perform essential functions, unless it imposes undue hardship.

Undue hardship

A significant difficulty or expense relative to the employer's size, resources, and operations; it is the employer's burden to demonstrate and must be assessed case by case.

Early intervention

Contact and assessment soon after injury or illness onset, aimed at preventing unnecessary work loss by coordinating treatment, expectations, and return-to-work options promptly.

Stay-at-work strategy

Adjustments made before the worker leaves the job, such as schedule changes or equipment, that keep a productive employee working during treatment or recovery.

Lost-time days

Calendar or scheduled workdays absent from work because of the condition; the counting convention must be defined consistently for comparison across cases and programs.

Recurrence rate

The proportion of closed cases that reopen or re-enter lost time within a defined window, used to test whether return-to-work was durable and sustainable.

Release of information

A signed, time-limited, purpose-specific authorization allowing the specialist to obtain and share defined medical or functional information with named parties.

Minimum necessary standard

The privacy principle that only the information needed for the specific purpose is collected, used, or disclosed, limiting exposure of diagnoses to those with a legitimate need.

FMLA leave entitlement

Twelve weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 12-month period for eligible employees of covered employers, with continued group health coverage under the same terms.

Workers compensation coordination

Aligning case management with the statutory claim process, including reporting deadlines, authorized treating providers, benefit calculations, and dispute procedures in the governing jurisdiction.

Case management cycle

Referral, assessment, goal-based planning, coordination, monitoring and reassessment, and closure, with outcomes documented at each stage to show progression and justify closure.

Case manager role boundary

The specialist coordinates care and work outcomes but does not diagnose, prescribe treatment, or override the treating clinician's medical judgment; conflicts are resolved through clarification, not direction.

Job demand analysis

A description of the physical, cognitive, sensory, and environmental requirements of a position, expressed in measurable terms so it can be matched to functional capacity.

Return-to-work plan components

Duties, schedule, duration, restrictions, reporting expectations, responsible parties, review dates, and escalation steps, agreed in writing before the employee resumes work.

Cost per claim

Total claim cost, including medical, indemnity, and administrative expenses, divided by the number of claims; definitions must be fixed before comparing periods or peers.

Recovery expectation discussion

A documented conversation with the treating clinician and worker about expected recovery timelines and functional milestones, used to set review points rather than to pressure treatment.

Psychosocial risk factors

Non-medical factors such as catastrophizing, fear of re-injury, job dissatisfaction, and low supervisor support that predict delayed return to work and warrant targeted intervention.

Workplace accommodation cost analysis

Comparing the cost of an accommodation, such as equipment or schedule change, with the cost of continued absence or replacement to support a defensible decision.

Disability duration drivers

The factors most associated with long work absence, including condition severity, delayed reporting, physical job demands, psychosocial factors, and employer response speed.

Supervisor training in disability management

Preparing supervisors to respond early, refer promptly, communicate supportively, and avoid medical questions, which improves reporting speed and return-to-work outcomes.

Confidential medical file

A file kept separately from the personnel record, accessible only to those with a legitimate need, containing medical documentation used for accommodation or return-to-work decisions.

Program evaluation measures

A balanced set of process, outcome, and cost indicators, such as referral timeliness, return-to-work rate, days to full duty, and claim cost, tracked over consistent periods.

Vocational rehabilitation referral

Transfer to a specialist when the worker cannot return to the prior job or employer, focusing on transferable skills, retraining, and placement in suitable alternative employment.

Closure criteria

Documented conditions ending active case management, such as full-duty return, stable modified duty, permanent placement, or maximum medical improvement with no further coordination needed.