Day 1: FCE Foundations, Documentation, and Program Development
By the end of Day 1, participants will be able to:
- Explain the history, purpose, and clinical applications of FCEs and their role within the rehabilitation process
- Describe the core principles of the OccuPro FCE methodology (legal defensibility, effort consistency, and pain reliability)
- Differentiate between physical demand characteristics, frequency classifications, and common FCE testing methodologies
- Apply documentation standards for functional abilities, effort consistency, pain behaviors, findings, and recommendations
- Compare FCE documentation systems, including templates, software solutions, and reporting tools
- Identify the operational, clinical, and financial components required to establish a successful FCE program
- Select appropriate equipment and design an effective space for performing functional capacity evaluations
- Analyze FCE methodologies, referral considerations, impairment ratings, and Daubert standards for defensible evaluations
- Conduct a comprehensive FCE intake interview and gather information necessary for objective assessment
- Perform a job demands analysis (JDA) and utilize job demand information to support return-to-work recommendations
Day 2: Performing Functional Capacity Evaluations
By the end of Day 2, participants will be able to:
- Utilize evidence-based methods to determine consistency of effort during testing
- Evaluate the reliability of subjective pain reports using validated pain assessment tools and observational methods
- Collect and interpret musculoskeletal screening information, including sensory testing findings
- Perform goniometric and inclinometric measurements for functional testing and impairment assessments
- Assess grip, pinch, fine motor, and gross motor abilities while evaluating consistency of effort
- Determine appropriate physical demand characteristics based on upper extremity testing results
- Evaluate walking, reaching, bending, squatting, kneeling, crawling, and climbing abilities
- Classify non-material handling activities using established physical demand characteristic categories
- Perform static and dynamic balance testing to assess work capacity and functional safety
- Integrate objective testing findings into evidence-based functional capacity determinations
Day 3: Material Handling, Reporting, and Clinical Application
By the end of Day 3, participants will be able to:
- Apply a kinesiophysical approach to determine safe, maximum, and occasional lifting capacities
- Evaluate and implement job simulation testing to improve the validity and relevance of FCE findings
- Assess and calculate frequent and continuous lifting abilities across multiple lifting tasks
- Complete an FCE by determining overall PDL and developing evidence-based return-to-work recommendations
- Summarize consistency of effort and pain reliability findings within a defensible final report
- Prepare for depositions and understand the responsibilities of serving as an expert witness
- Develop strategies to market FCE services, strengthen referral relationships, and grow program volume
- Conduct a comprehensive FCE case study from intake through reporting
- Interpret, present, and defend FCE findings and recommendations using objective clinical data
- Describe the requirements and competencies necessary to obtain the Certified Functional Capacity Evaluator credential