December 21, 2020
Functional Capacity Exams, Defined
A Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) determines an injured or otherwise incapacitated individual’s ability to return to work or resume work activities. So, by its simplest definition, an FCE measures a person’s ability to perform work-related or functional tasks. The battery of tests – the FCE measurements themselves – assess endurance, strength, physical capability, work level, and positional tolerance.
The webFCE Difference
There is a core format to every FCE. A client performs a task, while a clinician records and analyzes the results so as to reach a determination on that client’s status.
The differences webFCE introduces to the core FCE format are adaptability, speed, and ease of use. A client still performs a task and a clinician still assesses the results. However, the procedure and results are flexible. Examiners can utilize multiple customization options to tailor the test to the needs of any client, insurance carrier, or workplace. The FCE is available in one-day, two-day, or work evaluation (45 minute) versions, offering flexibility while remaining a powerful predictor of work ability. The test can be job-specific, tailored to specifically simulate the patient’s actual job tasks; or non-job specific, functioning as a general physical assessment. And webFCE’s straightforward, intuitive software eliminates over-complication and clunkiness. That means clinicians can perform FCEs quicker and more efficiently, all without sacrificing scientific rigor. The entire process culminates in an automatically generated FCE report.
Powerful, Data-Based Conclusions – Automatically Generated
Automation means clinicians can devote more time and effort to their most important duties. They don’t need to spend hours compiling an FCE report by hand: webFCE’s software will do it for them. Developed exclusively for webFCE’s software, hundreds of finely-tuned algorithms are hard at work behind each individual test. From simple lifting and carrying, to motor and sensory testing, to consistency of effort and full-time work tolerance, webFCE software automatically takes every data point into account. The result is a detail-rich, automatically-generated report that meets high standards of validity and reliability, and holds up in any court of law.
Aided by webFCE’s efficient improvements, evaluators no longer need to spend hours drawing up reports themselves. They are free to focus fully on their clinical analysis, decision-making, and conclusions.
Use of the Functional Capacity Report
Evaluators can use FCE measurements of function to make return-to-work or activity decisions, disability determinations, or to design rehabilitation plans. The FCE also predicts the potential to sustain these tasks over a defined time frame. Additionally, consistency-of-effort testing, part of the FCE, easily identifies cases of malingering. The results support tertiary prevention by removing needless disability or activity restrictions.
Are you are a clinician interested in webFCE’s streamlined yet comprehensive approach? or an organization or employer looking to incorporate FCEs? In either case, webFCE has solutions for you. Call us at (833) 327-8323 or contact us today.
We look forward to hearing from you!