Abstract
You will be asked to engage in a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) during the recovery period if you have lodged a workers compensation claim. It is necessary, to understand what to expect before taking this assessment. Although there are many explanations for referring someone to complete an FCE. Here in this blog, we are going to discuss everything about FCE.
What is FCE?
FCE stands for Functional Capacity Evaluation, which is a type of test for a worker, who is getting treatment under workers’ compensation claim. It is a kind of Skill Assessment that involves a series of tests, practices and observations to ascertain the person’s ability to work in a wide range of situations, most commonly in jobs. Diagnoses dependent on FCEs are modified by doctors. Usually, the examination is ordered by a physician, but, in some cases, lawyers, employers and insurance providers can request an FCE.
When an FCE has been ordered, it normally means that you are coming to an end of your treatment and now you can return to your work, with or without conditions, based on the FCE report. The tests you take during an FCE are designed not only to assess what you will or can do, but to indicate on the report whether you have faked either of the tests or not. An injured worker and a licensed health care provider will be available during Functional Capacity Evaluation. A person who is injured is not allowed to bring family or friends to their appointment.
What involves in FCE?
The FCE is performed to check a person’s range of motion, physical strength, lifting ability, flexibility, stamina, push and pull power, standing ability, grasping and holding capabilities, bending capabilities and balancing capabilities. and other abilities required for their job. The assessment consists a series of tests include –
- Get on a treadmill
- Crawl
- Move your hands or other parts of the body
- Push or pull
- Sit
- Lift weights
- Reach
- Stoop
- Test your grip
- Handle or manipulate objects
- Undergo hand-eye coordination tests
- Stack boxes
- Kneel
- Undergo dexterity tests
- Take step exercises
- Balance
- Stand
- Crouch
- Walk
- Undergo cognitive tests
Why workers are asked to participate in an FCE?
An FCE lets a person decide whether he/she should get back to work or not. If the return to work is possible, an FCE may be used to decide if a worker can work in a diminished capacity or need certain accommodations. FCE is a method for gathering information. Re-entering a full job too quickly can cause re-injury, particularly if a worker moves a muscle that has not yet healed properly too fast. In any situation, the aim is to ensure that an employee is safe. Occasionally, an employer or insurer may not consent on disability and accident levels. An FCE from a specialist in these cases may help with convincing evidence on job capability and readiness to work. The FCE is also used for a person who has faced a long-term injury.
An employer whose worker has committed fraud can see a dramatic increase in insurance rates, making it difficult for the company to employ additional employees or even to remain in a working condition for longer during loss. An FCE assesses employee claims and encourages employees to return to work when they are in a position to do so. FCE might also be useful in the following situations –
- Car accident in which someone has been injured
- After a catastrophic injury in which a person’s capacity needs to be evaluated
- For developing a treatment plan before rehabilitation
- To evaluate whether the patient has progressed after rehabilitation
