Vital Care Industrial Rehabilitation Center

Are you having difficulty getting a patient back to work? Do you ever question physical effort or symptom magnification? Are you having trouble with care resolution? If you need help resolving these issues, a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) can be beneficial.

At Vital Care Industrial Rehabilitation Center, an FCE can be performed through a one day evaluation which focuses on physical tolerance abilities related to musculoskeletal strength, endurance, speed and flexibility. An FCE gathers data used to determine consistency of effort and employability while measuring and developing an individuals capacity to dependably sustain performance in response to broadly defined work demands.

An FCE is a systemized approach using evaluation instruments whose reliability and validity have been determined through peer-reviewed research. The evaluation includes a combination of standardized tests and work simulation.

The three main purposes for performing an FCE are:
· Case resolution
· Evaluation of physical effort
· Assessment of symptom magnification

Inherent in the framework of the FCE process is respect for the client. There are four components addressed in each evaluation. These components, referred to as the Practice Hierarchy, include safety, reliability, validity, practicality and utility. Each of these components is addressed in the FCE process. It is imperative that a team approach is utilized so that the client understands the purpose of the evaluation, the referral source gets his or her questions answered from the evaluation, and the evaluator provides the momentum needed to assist in care resolution.

For further information regarding the Functional Capacity Evaluation process call Debra Yirku, PT, or David James, MS, ATC/L, at (815) 942-8301.