Under OSHA's recordkeeping system, two or more conflicting recommendations are only considered "contemporaneous" (at the same time), when they are conducted within a time frame such that the signs or symptoms of the injury or illness can be evaluated when they are in the same stage of development, same degree of severity, and can be viewed in a similar context for analysis.
When there are contemporaneous conflicting recommendations from two or more physicians or licensed health care professionals (LHCPs), the employer may choose the most authoritative opinion, which is the one with the best reasoning, is best documented, or is the most persuasive.