The primary purpose of a functional capacity evaluation (FCE) is to evaluate a person’s ability to participate in work, although other instrumental activities of daily living that support work performance may also be evaluated. A well-designed FCE should consist of a battery of standardized assessments that offers results in performance-based measures and demonstrates predictive value about the individual’s return to work.
Typically, two consecutive days of testing is preferred because this provides a more accurate reflection of the client’s ability to perform physical and cognitive tasks as it challenges the client’s endurance over time. Testing incorporates test and re-test assessments to determine the client’s performance on a selection of tests from Day 1 to Day 2. This provides comparative information regarding the client’s true abilities and limitations over time. Consecutive test days also provides information regarding the client’s fatigue and the progression of fatigue throughout the workday and across multiple days of work, thus providing a more accurate reflection of the client’s tolerances for consecutive days of work.
Our Functional Capacity Evaluations are conducted in both our Ottawa and Kingston offices.