Functional Capacity Evaluation

What Is a Functional Capacity Evaluation?

A functional capacity evaluation is when a set of tests are done to evaluate the physical abilities of employees. A third party is used to give a non-biased opinion on the fitness of employees. Functional capacity evaluations are also used when an injury or illness has occurred.

Who Performs A Functional Capacity Assessment?

Before talking about the ins and out of a functional capacity assessment, it’s important to know who’s in charge of administrating the test. FCEs, Functional Capacity Assessments, can only be performed by professional third parties. This is what makes them different from other workplace testing systems that are out there.

It’s a legal requirement for a professional to perform a functional capacity evaluation. They must be trained and capable of evaluating the movement, strength, and physical capabilities of employees. Some professionals that would qualify for this role are:

Physical therapists
Chiropractors
Physicians

You can hire a professional by finding a reliable service provider. These companies will provide you with an experienced evaluator who knows how the process goes, and they will guide you through it.

The Importance of FCEs in Workers' Compensation Cases

One of the main occasions in which an FCE is practiced is when an employee has a compensation case. A worker’s compensation case occurs when an employee is injured on-site. From this, an FCE has to be performed to establish the way forward for the employee.

A functional capacity test is very useful during the time of a workers’ compensation case. It is beneficial for both the employee and employer in the following ways:

It’s more accurate. What makes FCE testing so important is the fact that it provides a non-biased perspective when injuries happen in the workplace. Often, when victims of injuries write their reports, they come out more exaggerated and less accurate than they would be written by a third party.
Determining when a worker is ready to return to work. Their evaluation can determine whether or not an employee is ready to return to work after recovery. They can also decide that you’re ready to go to work, but on the conditions that you work at a decreased capacity. This ensures that you don’t get re-injured at work.
Providing workplace safety. A functional capacity test allows the evaluator to send employees home who are more high-risk to themselves and others. This makes the workplace a safer environment for all of the staff.
Objective perspective during disputes. When there are injuries at the workplace, disputes often follow. For example, one employee may have dropped something heavy on their co-worker, causing them to fall and twist their ankle. This can become a heated situation especially if the employee, and employer have different points of view.
Specific information about injuries or illnesses. Evaluators have to do a lot of research and ask a lot of questions to retrieve enough data. They want to determine what happened and how it caused the injury or illness. This helps employers deal with the cases specifically and accurately.
Determining how victims are compensated. This evaluation can also help to determine how the victims get fairly compensated. For example, they may break bones in their legs, so they need physical therapy funded by their employer.
Avoid exaggerated claims. There are cases where workers try to exaggerate the pain they’re in and how bad their injuries are, in hopes to get benefits or even sue their company. An evaluator has professional knowledge of injuries and will be able to know what is true and what may be exaggerated.

When Else Are FCE Tests Used?

Functional ability assessments are not only used for compensation cases but they’re also used for other occasions. It’s not just limited to workplace incidents, as it can be used in the following cases:

When an individual gets injuries from a car accident.
During rehabilitation when a treatment plan is being developed
After rehabilitation for adjusting and evaluating the patient’s progress.
When an intense injury needs to be evaluated.

Benefits of An FCE

Many benefits come with performing an FCE. It may be stressful at the moment, but it’s the best way to deal with a worker’s compensation case. These are some ways an FCE assessment can benefit everyone.

The Employee

This evaluation prioritizes the safety of the worker, as it entails a series of tests to determine the extent of the injuries, and whether the employee is ready to return to work. From these results, they’ll return to work at the right time, helping them to avoid worsening their condition or getting injured again.

These tests also help employees discover their physical limitations, so they don’t push themselves too hard and cause further injury. Their employer may decide to bring them back to work but reduce the number of daily duties they have that may weigh them down.

The Employer

FCE testing is also beneficial for the employer, as it emphasizes workplace safety. From information and data retrieved from the evaluator, the employer can make necessary adjustments at the workplace to improve safety. This prevents injuries from happening in the future, and the threat of potential lawsuits.

How An FCE Takes Place

Knowing how the FCE happens is important, regardless of whether you’re an HR employee, or a medical professional running the evaluation. It’s important to know what’s going on. This is a simple run-through of what the FCE process entails.

Independent Medical Examination

The evaluation starts with an IME, Independent Medical Examination, which is done by a medical professional provided by the business’s insurance company. If the worker is deemed fit enough to get back to work, an evaluation should be requested.

Request for An FCE

A request can then be organized either by the employee or an attorney at any time. This is what starts the process of an FCE. You’ll then receive a letter that should be read thoroughly, as it explains what you should expect from the evaluation.

The designated evaluator will take the time to introduce themself to the employee and the employer in charge. They may also have a conversation with the IME medic, so they can get a general understanding of the worker’s situation.

The Series of Tests

The largest part of the evaluation consists of a variety of tests that examine the physical abilities of the employee. This is where all physical aspects of the worker are tested. Each test may vary, as emphasis may be put on the problem areas that were injured. These are a few tests workers can expect to complete:

Treadmill. You’ll be asked to walk, jog, and run on a treadmill, to test your stamina and overall fitness.
Move parts of the body. To determine if you have mobility in all your parts you’ll be asked to move and manipulate objects with your hands and other parts of your body.
Hand and eye-coordination tests. To see if your hand-eye coordination is accurate, they will do a simple exercise that tests it such as throwing and catching.
Standing and sitting. They will observe how you’re able to do the motion of standing and sitting.
Balance tests. The evaluator will get you to do tests such as standing on one leg, to show how well you can stay balanced.
Lifting weights. To test your strength and muscle capacity, you will have to lift weights. This will show them if you’re capable of going back to work if your job requires you to lift heavy objects.

These are only a few things the employee can be tested on by the medical professional. They will do a thorough test that shows them if they’re able to perform the physical activities their job requires them to do.

This evaluation can take a long time, as it’s a large variety of tests that are used to assess your physical capacity. The evaluator will also ask the workers questions about the injury and how they feel throughout the tests. They want to know if they feel any pain while doing any of the activities, as this gives them an idea of their limits.

After all of the tests are completed, the worker will go home while the evaluator puts together a report that states whether the worker is ready to return to work or not. This report is sent to the employer and a decision can be made from there.

What To Do When You’re Required To Get A Functional Capacity Evaluation

As an employee, going through a worker’s compensation claim can be very stressful, but with help from your attorney, everything should run smoothly. Here are some other tips that can help you to handle an FCE successfully:

Dress comfortably for your evaluation. The FCE tests will test various parts of your body, as well as put you through multiple physical activity exams. You should wear comfortable clothes that are easy to move in throughout the various tests. You don’t want your clothes to hinder your results.
Don't forget important documents. Your documents are crucial for your evaluation, so ensure you remember them. Put them in a place you will remember them, so you don’t leave the house without them!
Be honest. During a functional evaluation test, it can be tempting to impress the evaluator, but this is not the time to be a hero. You must be honest with the medical professional, so they can give you an accurate evaluation. If you hurt somewhere while performing an activity, let them know.
Keep your expectations low. It’s important to remember that a functional evaluation test is merely one part of the process of getting your benefits. They provide a report at the end of the day, but this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll receive your benefits immediately.
Act like you’re being examined. This evaluation is different from the examinations you may be used to. The evaluator is examining your every move, so they can gauge how you’re performing the movements, and if there are any signs of pain and fatigue. So, it’s important to remember you’re being examined thoroughly

After Your FCE Exam

Once you’ve completed your exam, you’ll have to wait for a short while for your results. These results will determine whether you return to work or not. They may also have an impact on the potential benefits you may receive.

What Happens If You Don’t Complete The Test?

t’s in your best interest to give your evaluation your best try. You should try to get through all of the tests that you can. However, you may be feeling too weak and fatigued to complete all the various tests. In this case, it may impact your results, as you may be deemed unfit for the work environment.

But what happens if you completely reject taking the test? You may decide not to take the evaluation, as you don’t feel comfortable with it. Although you’re not legally obliged to complete the test, it may jeopardize your employment. Your company can choose to require this test for you to return to work.

What Happens If You Fail The FCE?

What happens if you get your functional capacity evaluation test results and you find out you’ve failed? Technically, you can’t really “fail” your FCE exam. You may get FCE test results that state you’re not fit enough to resume working. This doesn’t mean your case is completely over and destroyed.

You can request another evaluation at any time and go through the whole process again. If you feel as though your results are unfair you can also dispute this by hiring an injury lawyer.

What Happens After Passing Your Test?

If you pass your test, you are deemed fit enough to return to the workplace. However, these results don’t necessarily mean you’ll get back to work straight away. Your employer may want to run some other tests to determine if you’re ready to start working again.

The Functional Capacity Evaluation Cost

You may be wondering how much an FCE costs and who has to pay for it. The cost for this evaluation varies for each circumstance. It depends on the complexity of the tests, the equipment used, as well as the duration of the evaluation.

If you requested for the FCE to be done through a doctor, it will be paid for by the employer's insurance company. But if not, it has to be paid for in cash.

How Employers Can Prevent On-Site Injuries

If you’re an employer, HR employee, or company owner, you should make workplace safety your priority, so you can avoid on-site injuries and worker’s compensation cases.

Avoiding Workplace Hazards

Many types of workplace hazards could act as a liability for your employees. Some common workplace hazards that could lead to injury and illness include radiation, spills, tripping hazards, and fire hazard.

Post-Employment Testing

Another way to prevent injuries and illnesses from occurring on-site is by implementing post-employment testing. These are tests done after new employees have been offered the position. It’s done during the onboarding process for new employees and determines whether they’re physically fit enough for the workplace.

By testing employees' capabilities and physical capacity, you can avoid them from becoming a threat to themselves and others further along the line. Your employees will all be capable of handling their work duties, as well as their equipment.

Where can I find the best Functional Capacity Evaluation Service Provider?

Finding a good functional capacity evaluation provider can be challenging, as you’re new to this topic and you’re unsure of what the best option is for you. A vital thing to consider when looking for an evaluator is that they have to be a certified professional. When you’re looking for a good quality evaluation service provider, you should look for the following:

Professional evaluators. The most important aspect is that they must have professional evaluators on hand. Otherwise, the functional capacity evaluation certificate your employee receives won’t be valid.
Provides detailed reports. Different evaluators write up reports differently, but the more detailed the better. You should use a service provider that creates reports that help you understand the FCE holistically.
Have other related services. Another thing to consider when looking for an FCE service provider is that it should have related services. For example, you should seek a company that could also do post-employment testing for new employees. This will help you to find other ways to reinforce workplace safety.

The Future of Functional Capacity Evaluation Tests

FCE’s typically take three to four hours and are used for major injuries such as a bad car wreck. Individuals simply having shoulder surgery, carpel tunnel repair, a broken leg, or less severe injuries do not need to go through a full blown FCE anymore. PCP's 45 minute to an hour Fit-For-Duty tests works best. Insurance companies have also been the driving force for the change. In the past, they were the ones ordering FCE’s for payouts. As the cost for an FCE went from two or three hundred dollars to now eight hundred to a thousand dollars, insurance companies have looked for a more economical alternative to FCE’s. Fit-For Duty’s can often be completed for under two hundred dollars. PCPworks offers Post Offer testing as a mini FCE because like an FCE, it takes necessary measurements, just in a much shorter period of time with significant economical benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions

In this article, we’ve established the ins and outs of a functional ability evaluation. You now have a better understanding of what an FCE is, as well as you’re prepared knowing what to expect from the process as either an employee or employer or HR employee. However, these are some frequently asked questions that can make the evaluation process even smoother:

How are the results calculated? Many different factors make up FCE results. The calculations from the tests are taken into consideration with the observations of the evaluator.
Can FCE reports be used in court? If a worker’s compensation case is taken to court, their FCE report can be used. This helps to show the proof of injuries, as well as their physical capacity.
Does an FCE require a large venue? This test can either be done in a hired room with the right equipment, or the evaluator can come to the workplace to perform it. A large venue is required. All you need is a room big enough to conduct basic physical tests.
Are all tests the same? Although there’s a simple procedure and format that needs to be followed, this test can be tweaked to suit the workplace. The evaluation needs to accurately test if the worker is fit enough to fulfill their everyday physical duties.
What does the report look like? The report varies in size, but most of them are quite long. The average length of a report is 25 pages. Within this report, you can find details about the tests, the scores, pain, and outcome questions, and answers, as well as a report summary.
Can a Fit-For-Duty test replace a traditional FCE? In many cases yes, if an injury is minor, a Fit-For-Duty test can be used as a quicker and cheaper alternative to FCE tests.

Conclusion

Accidents happen at the workplace, so an employer or an HR employee needs to know how to handle them. This process can be smooth and professional.

For the employee who has experienced the injury, this evaluation process can be quite stressful. However, it’s important to remember that it’s not an exam you should be scared of, especially if you're mentally and physically prepared for it.

All you need to do is show up punctually, be comfortable, and be honest with your evaluator. Perform these tests to the best of your ability, but if you feel like you’re pushing your limits, let your evaluator know. You don’t want inaccurate results that send you back to work when you’re not physically ready. Furthermore, if a Fit-For-Duty exam can be used instead of an FCE, we recommend using the Fit-For-Duty exam as it will be more economical and much quicker.

785-825-4444

Call: 785-825-4444

917 E Prescott Rd.

Salina, KS 67401