QME record review turnaround and the 30-day report clock
Short version: you have 30 days after the evaluation to submit the report (8 CCR 38). Software returns a file in minutes to about 1 hour, a hybrid service in about 24 hours, and a person-led service in 3 to 5 days where a number is stated at all. Records that arrive in the last week can only go through software or your own reading.
Limits: Prices, turnaround and features come from each vendor's own website, read on 2026-11-12. We did not send any vendor a real file, so turnaround and quality are the vendors' claims. Nothing here is billing or legal advice.
The clock you are working against
Title 8, section 38 sets the time frame for an initial or follow-up evaluation report at no more than 30 days after the QME, Agreed Panel QME or AME has seen the employee or otherwise started the evaluation. If the report won't be done by the due date, the evaluator may ask the Medical Director for an extension of up to 30 more days (8 CCR 38, read 2026-11-12). Extensions are a request, not a right, so plan your record review inside the first 30 days.
Lexitas, a party-side service, describes "tight 20-day timeframes" for QME and AME evaluations on its service page; that refers to the serving side's deadlines, not your report clock (Lexitas).
Where each option lands on the 30 days
Turnaround claimed by each option
| Option | Type | Turnaround claimed | Days left of 30 if records arrive on day 20 | Source, date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medrecords AI (ours) | Software | About 1 hour per case | About 10 | our page, 2026-11-12 |
| Doqtor | Software | Under 10 minutes | About 10 | doqtor.io, 2026-11-12 |
| InPractice | Software | About 3 seconds a page, 1,000 pages in about 50 minutes | About 10 | inpractice.ai, 2026-11-12 |
| Trusted Summaries | Software | About 1 second a page; 5,000+ pages run in the background | About 10 | trustedsummaries.com, 2026-11-12 |
| RapidCare WHITE | Hybrid service | 24 hours standard; roughly 4 to 8 hours by size | About 9 | rapidcare.ai, 2026-11-12 |
| LezDo TechMed | Hybrid service | 3 to 5 days, in its own QME case story | About 3 to 7 | lezdotechmed.com, 2026-11-12 |
| Summit Global Services | Hybrid service | "Flexible turnaround options", no number | Unknown | summitglobalservices.com, 2026-11-12 |
| PhoenixEra, Transdyne, MedPro, CUBEXLE, Wisedocs | Services | No number on the pages we read | Unknown | phoenixerabss.com and the services table, 2026-11-12 |
MediScan, OctopusLM, InjuryMgmt, IME Coach and QME Copilot state no processing time on the pages we read. As cloud or desktop software they run without a human queue, but we have no figure to print.
3 situations where turnaround decides the pick
Records arrive before the exam
Any option works. A service with a stated 3 to 5 day turnaround can return the file before you see the employee, and you walk in with the history already outlined. This is the case services are built for.
Records arrive at or after the exam
You now have 30 days for everything: review, history, exam findings, opinions and service. A 24-hour service costs you 1 day of 30. A 5-day service costs you a working week, and its clock usually runs in business days.
Records arrive in the last 10 days
Use software or read them yourself. If they push you past the due date, the extension request goes to the Medical Director under 8 CCR 38, and it has to be made before the report is late.
Get turnaround in writing
- Ask for turnaround in business days from upload, by page count band (under 500, 500 to 2,000, over 2,000).
- Ask what happens on a rush: price, and whether it is guaranteed.
- Ask when the clock starts if the vendor has to sort your upload first.
- Ask for the turnaround on a supplemental batch of under 100 pages. Small batches sit in queues behind big files.
Questions about turnaround
How long does a QME have to finish the report?
30 days after the evaluation, under 8 CCR 38, with a possible extension of up to 30 more days from the Medical Director if requested.
Which record review option is fastest?
Software. Doqtor claims under 10 minutes and Medrecords AI about 1 hour per case. The fastest stated service is RapidCare WHITE at 24 hours standard.
Are vendor turnaround figures reliable?
They are the vendors' own claims, and we tested none of them. Run 1 closed file through any vendor before you trust it with a live deadline.