Tag: OT

Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCE) you can trust: Clear, Repeatable, Customized

OT Works!’ Functional Capacity Evaluations are conducted by qualified Occupational Therapists with extensive FCE experience. They have served a range of clients providing dependable, accurate, and reliable assessments. 

Understanding the FCE

The purpose of an FCE is to determine an individual’s ability to perform specific job-related activities safely and effectively. Our occupational therapists conduct a thorough evaluation of physical strength, mobility, coordination, endurance for physical and cognitive activities and other relevant factors. During the assessment, individuals take part in standardized tests, exercises, and simulated work tasks that replicate the physical and/or cognitive demands of their job or the type of work they are seeking to perform.  FCEs are typically longer duration assessments, up to 6-8 hours and in some instances testing occurs over several consecutive days. This enables the occupational therapist to evaluate the client’s ability to sustain work tasks and work productivity over time.

FCEs also include testing that evaluates the client’s level of effort provided during the assessment. This enables the occupational therapist to determine if the assessment findings are an accurate representation of the client’s abilities and limitations.

FCEs also include testing for the client’s reliability with respect to pain and disability reports. This enables the occupational therapist to determine whether the client’s subjective reports regarding their symptoms and disability are consistent with what is observed. Effort and reliability testing enable the occupational therapist to more accurately determine how the client would perform in a real work setting.

What sets OT Works!’ FCEs apart

FCE’s can be completed by a number of different healthcare providers.  Here is what separates ones done by OT Works! from the rest:

• Conducted by Occupational Therapists: all of our assessors are registered and in good standing with the College of Occupational Therapists of BC. Our OTs also provide occupational therapy treatment, and have specific rehab experience working on function with similar clients
• Experienced with FCEs – all of our assessors have a minimum 5 years of experience conducting FCEs
• Holistic approach – Occupational therapists  evaluate clients holistically, taking into consideration their physical, cognitive and emotional abilities, as well as their environments
• Customized solutions – our FCE’s are focused on the specific request.  While our reports are objective reliable, and use standardized assessments, they address the main question that the customer needs answered.  We listen to our customers and clients and focus our attention on their specific situation–its not a “one size fits all” solution
• Central location– our modern Class A assessment facility in New Westminster is centrally located in the Lower Mainland and is easily accessible by transit.

Different Types of FCEs and OT assessments

There are different types of assessments and FCE’s that OT Works! can provide, depending on the specific client’s needs.

Medical-Legal FCE:

A medical-legal FCE is specifically conducted within a legal context, such as workers’ compensation disputes or personal injury cases. Its purpose is to provide an objective evaluation of an individual’s functional abilities and limitations that can be used as evidence in legal proceedings. A medical-legal FCE is characterized by impartiality, documentation of functional limitations, and the use of experts with specialized training and experience in performing evaluations for legal purposes.

Rehab FCE

A rehab FCE, also known as a vocational or occupational FCE, focuses on assessing an individual’s functional abilities and limitations in relation to returning to work or participating in vocational rehabilitation. It is commonly used in occupational rehabilitation, workers’ compensation cases, and disability management. The goals of a rehab-FCE include determining the individual’s current capabilities and limitations, assessing readiness for work or vocational rehabilitation, identifying suitable job tasks and accommodations, and developing customized rehabilitation plans based on the assessment findings.

Cognitive FCE

A Cognitive FCE typically involves a series of standardized tests and tasks that assess various cognitive domains, such as memory, attention, problem-solving, decision-making, and information processing. The evaluation may also include activities that simulate work-related tasks to assess an individual’s ability to handle specific job requirements.

OT Assessments

An OT assessment considers physical, cognitive, sensory, and psychosocial barriers to function, while assessing current capacity for self-care, work, leisure, and other activities important for daily life.
It includes objective, standardized assessments and observations of function, and typically focuses on developing return to work and/or rehabilitation recommendations.

An OT functional assessment is typically shorter than an FCE(i.e. 2-3 hours vs. 8 hours for an FCE) and is less costly.  Because of its shorter duration, an OT assessment cannot define  overall tolerances or activity endurance related to return to full-time work.
Also OT functional assessments usually take place in  community settings, workplaces or in the client’s home, while the FCEs take place in a standardized clinic setting.

Finally, OT assessments do not typically comment on the reliability of the client’s reports, and validity of the results, which are typically required in legal proceedings.

Our FCE Team

At OT Works!, our team of certified-FCE providers has extensive experience in conducting FCE assessments. They have helped many clients in their return to work and rehabilitation journeys.

Haley Tencha

• Certified as a Work Capacity Evaluator through Roy Matheson and Associates in 2013 and recertified in 2016 and 2020. Completed the Employment Potential Improvement Corporation (EPIC) Lifting course to become a Certified EPIC Lifting Capacity Evaluator.  Also completed Cognitive Functional Capacity Evaluation course through Roy Matheson and Associates in 2019.
• For the past 10 years, Haley has completed hundreds of medical legal assessments across the Lower Mainland including Functional/Work Capacity Evaluations, Cognitive Functional Capacity Evaluations and Cost of Future Care Assessments.
• She has testified as an expert witness in the Supreme Court of British Columbia on numerous occasions.

Steven Lin

• Certified to complete Functional Capacity Evaluations. Trained in Isernhagen Work Systems (now known as WorkWell Systems) to complete basic and comprehensive functional capacity evaluations. Completed EPIC lift training but not certified.
• 16 years of experience and hundreds of rehab functional capacity evaluations. 1 year of experience in medical-legal functional evaluations. Completed training in cognitive functional capacity evaluations.
• Steven has not testified in court so cannot be counted as an expert witness.

Aman Rangi (rehab FCEs only)

• Aman is a certified Work Capacity Evaluator through Roy Matheson and Associates at both basic and advanced level. He is also one of the internationally recognized instructors for Roy Matheson and Associates, teaching the Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) course. He is also a Certified EPIC Lifting Capacity Evaluator and has completed training in Cognitive Functional Capacity Evaluation. When not completing medical-legal assessments, Aman also teaches at the University of British Columbia (UBC) as a clinical faculty member in the Master of Occupational Science and Therapy program. 
• For the past 5 years, Aman has completed medical legal assessments across the Lower Mainland including Functional/Work Capacity Evaluations, Cognitive Functional Capacity Evaluations and Cost of Future Care Assessments. He has also carried a rehabilitation caseload. 
• He has testified as an expert witness in the Supreme Court of British Columbia on multiple occasions

Maren Kristensen

• Certified as a Work Capacity Evaluator by WorkWell Functional Capacity Evaluation training in 2017. Completed the Cognitive Functional Capacity Evaluation course through Roy Matheson Education and Training in 2017.
• Maren has been completing FCE’s since 2017, with an emphasis in return to work settings.
• Maren has not testified in court.

OT Works!’ FCE clinic

With a central location in Uptown New Westminster, our clinic is accessible by transit. Located inside Metro Vancouver’s first LEED Gold office building, offering a bright environment and high ceilings, our clinic is fully equipped with functional testing equipment.

With the skills and experience of our team, and access to FCE equipment and procedures, OT Works! can also provide other standardized functional assessments.

Contact us to find out more

Whether you require an FCE for occupational rehabilitation, disability assessment, or workers’ compensation case, you can trust our knowledgeable and skilled therapists at OT Works! to provide you with accurate and meaningful evaluations.

Email:  referrals@ot-works.com  
Phone:  604.696.1066 ext. 1000.