101: FCE Best Practices: Vocational Applications in Catastrophic Cases

Description

Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs) are commonly requested in workers' compensation and long-term disability claims to assist with case resolution. However, the results from FCEs can have wider applications beyond just work. Peer-reviewed evidence-based best practices for FCEs have been published by the American Physical Therapy Association. These guidelines emphasize the proper use of cardiorespiratory and biomechanical signs of exertion for assessing an individual's performance validity and their tolerance to perform functional activities over specified durations. Besides work tolerances, FCEs can provide objective evidence about an individual's ability to safely and independently participate in other activities of daily living, loss of enjoyment of life activities, and to identify equipment needs and home modifications for safety.

Learning objectives

Identify the 2 primary peer reviewed publications providing guidance for best practices in FCEs.
Describe the use of cardiorespiratory and biomechanical signs of exertion for assessing an individual's performance validity and their physical tolerance to perform functional activities over specified durations.
Analyze an FCE report in order to articulate an individual's pain profile, loss of enjoyment of life activities, home needs, and loss of wage-earning capacity.
Demonstrate how to use the AOPT/OHSIG search feature to find an OHP credentialed FCE examiner.

Contributors

Steve Allison, PT, DPT, CME

Dr. Allison is a doctor of physical therapy and he serves as CEO of Functional Capacity Experts, LLC in Bossier City, Louisiana. He is a certified DOT medical examiner for the FMCSA, and a certified occupational health practitioner under the Academy of Orthopedic Physical Therapy . He has been licensed to practice physical therapy for 30 years. He has focused his practice to the sub-specialty areas of functional capacity evaluations, disability case consulting, functional job analysis and employment exams, and functional test validation testing.

Dr. Allison served as the lead author of the FCE best practices guideline adopted by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) in April 2018. He has also authored and/or contributed to other articles and monographs related to FCE, job analysis, medical fitness for duty, and a clinical practice guideline for work rehabilitation. He has served as an expert consultant to the EEOC in disability discrimination cases, and he has been recognized in various federal courts and district courts in Louisiana as an expert in FCEs, job analysis, functional test validation, and orthopedic physical therapy.

Description

Learning objectives

Contributors

Steve Allison, PT, DPT, CME