Functional Capacity Evaluation Exams

Functional capacity evaluation (FCE) compares a worker’s health status, body functions and structures to the demand of the profession and the work environs. It is to evaluate the worker’s ability to accomplish work activities that are related to his or her participation in employment. In a nutshell, the FCE mainly assesses the ability of a person to partake in work activities. To achieve this, other helpful activities of daily living that support job performance are also checked. Physical capacity test or evaluation (PCA or PCE), work capacity assessment or evaluation (WCA or WCE), and functional capacity assessment (FCA) are also similar to the FCE.

Conventionally, FCEs measures an individual's ability to perform the physical demands of a job, and only recently, many FCE series of tests have begun to include assessment of intellectual demands if such testing is warranted. Here, the FCE must run with care for the client's safety and well-being. A well-made FCE should consist of a series of uniform assessments that offers results in performance-based measures and demonstrates the predictive value of the individual's return to work.

Who Can Benefit From an FCE?

1. Everyone who is or has been injured while on the job to determine his/her ability to return to the job or to look for an alternate work.
2. Someone applying for Social Security Disability benefits.
3. Everyone looking forward to returning from work or volunteer activities after an injury.
4. Everyone injured in a disastrous accident (automobile accident). FCE can determine performance skills and abilities linked to resuming former work or a new job.
5. Someone seeking vocational rehabilitation services.
6. Students receiving temporary services from school to the work setting to check their skills and the extent of support essential to accomplish a job

Occupational Therapy's Role in FCEs

Occupational therapists have a crucial role to play in FCEs. The therapists, based on their training and education would examine an activity in detail to determine the necessary constituents to perform the task competently. The therapist essentially has to work on exceptional facts and skills relating to the interactions between the person, the environment, and the occupation.  Although, professionals from other disciplines can also be involved in FCEs, the FCEs usually require the evaluator to determine the worker’s ability to perform tasks related jobs. It is also a determinant of whether there is a match between these skills and the essential job performance constituents.

The FCE may be used to determine:

• Aims and objectives or willingness for discharge planning.
• Ability to safely return to work status fully.
• Labor status for vocational rehabilitation.
• Workers' compensation case settlement.
• Disability state.
• The ability to meet up with job demands as a part of the hiring process (pre-work/post-offer employment testing).
• Ability to meet the requirements of other activities (i.e., being a student, volunteering)

What Are the Components of the FCE?

The FCE key constituents vary. The purpose of the assessment determines the elements. The FCE basically starts with a client interview, medical history review, and musculoskeletal screening.  During FCE, pain observing is regularly performed to document client-reported levels of pain during various activities as well as to manage pain. The FCE may also include classified material handling activities such as lifting, pushing, carrying, and pulling. It also involves positional tolerance activities such as sitting, walking, standing, balancing, stooping, reaching, kneeling, crouching, object handling/manipulation, crawling, fingering, hand manipulation and hand grasping. The assessment can also include an evaluation of an individual's hand dexterity, hand coordination, endurance, and other job-specific functions. 

If you need a Functional Capacity Exam or FCE performed Contact Us at Work Well, PLLC's Today.