FCE – The Capability of You for Employment

Another chunk of alphabet soup; an FCE seems intentionally designed to confuse. But, it is simply another piece of lingo familiar to those in the industry. 

FCE stands for Functional Capacity Examination. Actually, it is a comprehensive assessment conducted by healthcare professionals, normally occupational therapists or physical therapists, to evaluate an individual’s physical and functional abilities. 

When it says comprehensive, it means thorough and complex. An FCE often includes:

• A physical abilities assessment. Going over strength, flexibility, endurance, and range of motion.
• Functional mobility testing. Assessing the ability to perform various movements and activities, like walking, lifting, carrying, reaching, and bending.
• Cognitive and psychological assessments. Assessing cognitive and psychological factors if they’re impacting functional capacity.
• Job-specific tasks. Tailoring tasks relevant to the individual’s past or current job requirements. This is particularly important to determine an individual’s ability to return to work after an injury or illness.
• A pain assessment. Assessing how much pain is happening and when it is highest or most impactful.
• Observation of functional activities. Assessing movement patterns and body mechanics during activities based on observations by a healthcare professional.

An FCE report is often in the double digits in length. The specific components of a Functional Capacity Evaluation can vary based on the purpose of the assessment and the individual’s unique circumstances. 

The main goal of an FCE is to assess how well you can perform specific tasks and activities, particularly in your job or daily life. An FCE can be necessary for determining rehabilitation plans, the progress in returning to work, establishing other possible employment options, and many other scenarios.

Getting an FCE done? Curious about your worker’s compensation or Social Security disability claim?

Finderson Law LLC offers free consultations to discuss your case. Give our firm a call at (260) 420-8600, use the chat box on our website, or text us using the website link! 

We are always here to help bring our clients comfort, hope, and ease regarding the complications of the law. As Attorney Roger Finderson is now licensed in Florida, we are happy to help Floridians alongside Hoosiers.