Functional Capacity Evaluation Day!

Well today is the day for my Long-Term Disability's attempt to get me off their payroll. I go in for my Functional Capacity Evaluation. Sigh! I feel like total shit and I have to do this for at least 4 hours this afternoon???? Are you kidding??? If you are like me, you had no clue what this eval was so I took a look online...thanks to google here is what I found out. Thanks to www.aota.org for the information.:


Functional Capacity Evaluation

What Is a FCE?
Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) is a systematic process of assessing an individual's physical capacities and functional abilities. The FCE matches human performance levels to the demands of a specific job or work activity or occupation. The FCE establishes the physical level of work an individual can perform. The FCE is useful in determining job placement, job accommodation, or return to work after injury or illness. FCEs can provide objective information regarding functional work ability in the determination of occupational disability status.

What Are the Purposes and Applications of the FCE?
The FCE is a significant tool that can be used to make objective and reliable assessments of the individual's condition. Its precise data format provides information that can be used in various contexts. The FCE may be used:

To determine the individual's ability to safely return to work full time or on modified duty
To determine if work restrictions, job modifications, or reasonable accommodations are necessary to prevent further injury
To determine the extent to which impairments exist, or the degree of physical disability for compensation purposes
To predict the potential ability to perform work following acute rehabilitation or a work-hardening/work-conditioning program

What Are the Components of FCE?
The functional capacity evaluation assesses the individual's flexibility, strength, balance, coordination, cardiovascular condition, and body mechanics. An effective FCE determines whether there is a match between the individual's functional capabilities, and the physical demands of work. Typically, an FCE focuses on a job goal rather than on individual aptitudes, interest, and temperaments. The individual's psychosocial behaviors are assessed in relation to appropriate worker traits. There are two types of FCE:

Baseline FCE -- An objective assessment of the individual's physical abilities to perform a variety of tasks related to the physical demands of work
Job specific FCE - An evaluation of the individual's physical abilities to function within the parameters of an identified job. The job specific FCE is based on critical physical demands of the essential functions of the job. Work simulation activities are often an integral component of the evaluation.
FCEs are done on an intensive one-to-one basis and range in length for 4 to 6 hours. The FCE may take place over two consecutive days.

Who Is Qualified to Perform an FCE?
The occupational therapy practitioner has the unique combination of skills and abilities necessary to assess the physiological, psychophysical, and biomechanical function of the individual engaged in occupation. Occupational therapists also have the observational skills, training, and experience to perform complex task analysis and assessment of environmental factors affecting work performance.

Who Should Be Referred for an FCE?
Individual who has achieved maximum medical improvement but continues to have issues related to re-injury and return to work.
Individual who needs quantification of their physical capacities for determination of disability status.
Individuals who need their function quantified prior to vocational job search and/or return to work
Individuals who require quantification of their physical function for medical legal reasons.

Where is FCE Provided?
FCE is typically performed in a structured, controlled environment that involves directly measuring and observing the work as he or she performs specific work and functional activities.
Free standing facilities
Industry (at the job site)
Outpatient rehabilitation facilities
Hospital rehabilitation departments

Who Pays for the FCE?
Worker's compensation insurance plans
Self-insured plans
Individual insurance plans
State and/or local agencies
Managed care plans
Private pay

Who Can Refer for the FCE?
Physicians
Rehabilitation personnel/Case managers
Insurance representatives
Employers/human resource agency personnel/risk managers
Attorneys

Revised by Work Programs SIS, May 1998
Rannell Dahl, Frank Armstrong, Melanie Ellexson, Barbara Larson

I just hope I survive this day!!!!