Reference Number: CTAS-2025
A medical examination is any procedure or test that seeks information about a person's health. The guidance on Pre-employment Questions and Medical Examinations lists the following seven factors that can be used to determine if a test is a medical examination.
- Is the test administered by a health care professional?
- Is the test analyzed/interpreted by a health care professional?
- Is the test designed to reveal a physical impairment?
- Is the test invasive?
- Does the test measure employee's performance of a task or the physiological responses to performing the task?
- Is the test normally given in a medical setting?
- Is medical equipment used for the test?
Medical examinations include—
- Vision tests,
- Tests to check for genetic markers,
- Blood pressure screening and cholesterol testing,
- Nerve conduction tests,
- Range-of-motion tests,
- Pulmonary function tests,
- Tests to check for mental disorder or impairment and
- Diagnostic procedures.
Under the ADA the following tests are NOT considered medical examinations:
- Drug tests.
- Physical agility and fitness tests.
- Reading tests to demonstrate the ability to perform job functions.
- Psychological tests that measure personality traits.
- Polygraph examinations.
Under the ADA, current supervisors may not pass on medical information about employees interviewing in a different department or for a different job. Current employees who apply for a new job within the same organization should be treated the same as other applicants for the job.