What is a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE)?

Functional Capacity Evaluation, also known as a Physical Capacity Evaluation (PCE), Functional Capacity Assessment (FCA), Work Capacity Evaluation (WCE), or informally as "functional testing", is an intensive short-term (usually one day) evaluation that focuses on major physical tolerance abilities related to musculoskeletal strength, endurace, speed and flexibility.

An evaluator skilled in Functional Capacity Evaluation will use a battery of standardized tests, designed around key factors that include diagnosis, impairment, pain and functional limitation, referral questions, and, in some instances, the case resolution goal. FCE's value to the injured individual is the focus on functional ability instead of the pain limitation associated with an impairment. It considers speed, flexibility, endurance, skill and strength through the use of functional testing, MTM, and standardized measurements to assess job-fit status.

Functional Capacity Evaluation is not only a useful clinical tool, but a baseline for industry-standard results that clearly define an individual's transition from injury to employment, and from disability to deployment.

What is the purpose of the Functional Capacity Evaluation?

The purpose of the Functional Capacity Evaluation is to collect reliable information about current functional and vocational status and estimate potential functional and vocational status. This two-fold purpose is one of the hallmarks of the Matheson System. Case resolution purposes may be used to establish level of impairment (lowest level use of an FCE), as a Disability Evaluation, for Compromise and Release, or for Medical-Legal purposes (highest use of an FCE).

Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) is used by physicians, case managers, and employers to transition injured workers from disability to function and employment. FCE is the single most reliable measure to determine if a successful return-to-work is possible - as it is inherently a thorough and accurate evaluation process that documents an individual's residual physical abilities, level of effort expended during testing, reliability of reports of pain and limitation, and it is an overall gauge of feasibility for employment.

In a vocational rehabilitation setting the results of Functional Capacity Evaluation are typically used to develop return-to-work plans, as the basis of an offer of alternative employment, or as the foundation for a feasibility development plan (work-focused rehabilitation); results are a sound framework for developing a Temporary Alternative Duty plan.

In a military setting the results of the Functional Capacity Evaluation are used to evaluate progress as the injured soldier transitions back to the force in the usual and customary military occupational specialty (MOS) or to measure the physical ability to reintegrate into a new specialty. It can also be used in preparation for a medical evaluation board or in transition from active duty into Veterans Administration services.

Functional Capacity Evaluation provides an important bridge from the impairment phase of medical evaluation to the disability recovery phase. While FCE provides documentation of impairment, it is best suited to the evaluation and amelioration of disability. Providing a means for a shift from the disability to vocational feasibility construct is an attainable goal with the use of FCE.

What makes the Matheson approach to Functional Capacity Evaluation unique?

Matheson is the only FCE system that has an evaluation philosophy as its foundation. The foundation is the Practice Hierarchy which is espoused by such organizations as the American Psychological Association, the American Physical Therapy Association, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the American Academy of Occupational Medicine and Rehabilitation. Built upon the Practice Hierarchy foundation are the four pillars of the philosophy: respect for the person being evaluated, use of best practices, the thinking evaluator concept and a focus on case resolution.

Safety
Reliability
Validity
Practicality
Utility

(You'll learn more about the Hierarchy in your training). This two-pronged approach treats fairly the fee payer and the injured worker while keeping the injured worker safe from re-injury during the course of the evaluation. If training, skill, good practice, and using your brain are attractive to you, the Matheson System may be what you have been seeking.