Our Services

Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCE's)

Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCE’s) are used to provide return-to-work recommendations to a patient’s primary physician following injury, surgery or illness. The FCE assesses whether an individual’s strength, flexibility, endurance, and body mechanics, meet the requirements of a specific occupation or work activity. The FCE provides useful information for a variety of applications, including:

• Goal setting and treatment planning
• Monitoring progress throughout rehab
• Return to work by matching job demands to the client’s abilities
• Determining case closure
• Assisting physicians with disability determination
• Determining subject’s level of participation
• Post-offer employment screening

There are two types of FCE’s: The Baseline or Non-Specific FCE is an objective assessment of an individual’s abilities to perform tasks associated with general physical demands of work. The Job Specific FCE evaluates an individual’s physical ability to perform specific requirements according to the parameters of an identified job.

In most applications, an FCE focuses on a job goal rather than the individual’s aptitude, interests, or temperaments. It assesses the client’s posture, flexibility, strength, balance, coordination, lifting ability, cardiovascular tolerance and body mechanics. FCE’s can also be used to assess validity or sincerity of effort when used in tandem with a skilled evaluation observation, as documented in an accompanying report. As such, they can serve as a valuable tool in case administration.

The FCE includes three parts: the Intake Interview; Physical Assessment; and Functional Assessment. The entire evaluation requires 3-5 hours to complete. A final report is issued within 4-5 working days and provides specific recommendations regarding return-to-work levels, validity/reliability and any additional considerations.

Our therapists perform FCE’s using an innovative, computer-based testing platform known as the Hanoun System. This system enables the clinician to custom-develop a functional test involving subjective questionnaires, cardiovascular assessments during activity, work simulation, mobility, and strength testing. These inputs are fed into the computer program for processing, so that it may generate an evaluation. The Hanoun System can be used not only during Functional Capacity Testing, but also for Post-Offer employment testing, fitness for duty, and disability evaluations.

All of our FCE’s are performed by a licensed physical or occupational therapist and customized after the job description is reviewed. Observation starts when the patient enters our clinic and concludes when they leave our parking lot. The FCE contains a computerized report along with a summarized verbal report including comments on validity and recommendations for return to work.

The Hanoun System requires calibration of all force gauges, dynameters and static testing equipment be calibrated by protocol at a minimum of once every 2 weeks. The program will not allow testing if this is not performed. All evaluators are required to complete Hanoun Certification which includes formal education, a completion of sample testing using specified protocols on 4 individuals and passing a written examination.

From the injured workers perspective, the integrity of the test is verified by obtaining a detailed medical history from the client as well as the client’s description of the essential functions of the job being tested. Any discrepancy between the written job description and the client’s description is documented.