Services

Functional Abilities Evaluations

Functional abilities evaluations (FAE) or functional capacity evaluations (FCE) are typically requested to guide decision making with respect to a participant’s functional status.

The FAE quantifiably measures the degree of a participant’s condition or injury by testing for strength, muscular endurance, effortful performance, and activity tolerances (for example lifting, bending, crouching, kneeling, walking, and balance).

The FAE aids in objectively identifying the restrictions that a participant may require with return to work or return to normal activities. This process allows an independent third party to objectively identify rehabilitation requirements as well as the planning of workplace modifications and/or accommodations required for the participant’s safe return to employment and/or functional independence.

The FAE assessment process consists of a complete history of current medical status, a medical screening to ensure the safety of the assessment process, and a comprehensive evaluation of the participant’s functional abilities using objective measures and quantitative tests. The FAE can comment on rehabilitation requirements, specific to return to work duties in relation to specific job requirements, or general abilities to determine fitness to return to pre-accident activities.

Once the FAE is completed, the data is interpreted and prepared in the form of a defensible report for presentation to all related parties.