A functional capacity evaluation (FCE) is a standardized assessment of a person's physical capacity to perform work-related activities, typically conducted by an occupational or physical therapist over one or two days.
When it is used
In life care planning, an FCE documents what the evaluee can physically do and sustain. The planner uses it to support attendant care hours, the need for adaptive equipment and home modification, and restrictions relevant to workers' compensation plans. It is compared with an IME in FCE vs. IME.
Step-by-step
Obtain referral and medical records
Perform intake interview, vital signs, pain and symptom baseline
Administer standardized physical tests (lifting, carrying, reaching, sitting/standing tolerance, etc.)
Document effort, consistency, and reliability measures
Report safe maximum demonstrated capacities in standardized physical demand terms (lifting, carrying, sitting, standing, walking tolerances)
Data sources
Standardized FCE systems (ErgoScience, WorkWell, Isernhagen, Matheson, etc.)
Standardized physical demand classifications
Occupational therapy practice framework for activity and participation
Limitations
FCE results depend on examinee effort and consistency; reliability measures are included to identify submaximal effort. Results reflect capacity on the day of testing.
Admissibility
Standardized FCEs are broadly accepted when administered by qualified evaluators using validated protocols (King et al., 1998).
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does an FCE take?
Most FCE protocols run 4-8 hours over one or two days, depending on the system and the referral question.
How do effort and consistency measures work?
Protocols include heart rate response, coefficient of variation across repeated tests, and observed behavior consistency (Genovese & Galper, 2009). Submaximal effort is documented so the report makes clear what the evaluee demonstrated rather than what they may have been able to do.
References
Genovese, E., & Galper, J. S. (Eds.). (2009). Guide to the evaluation of functional ability: How to request, interpret, and apply functional capacity evaluations. American Medical Association. search.worldcat.org
King, P. M., Tuckwell, N., & Barrett, T. E. (1998). A critical review of functional capacity evaluations. Physical Therapy, 78(8), 852-866. doi.org
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2020). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process (4th ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(Suppl. 2), 7412410010. doi.org
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KW Life Care Planning provides independent, objective life care planning analysis for plaintiff and defense counsel nationwide. Tell us about the matter and we will scope the appropriate deliverable, or explore the relevant practice area below.