Advanced FCE
Certification Course

Day 1: Advanced FCE Methodologies, Research, and Evidence-Based Practice

By the end of Day 1, participants will be able to:

• Differentiate between kinesiophysical, psychophysical, and hybrid functional capacity evaluation methodologies
• Evaluate current FCE best practices, clinical standards, and evidence-based testing approaches
• Interpret research regarding consistency of effort, sincerity of effort, pain behaviors, and reliability of pain reporting
• Document effort, pain, and functional findings using defensible methods that satisfy clinical and legal stakeholders
• Critically analyze functional capacity evaluation reports through advanced case review and peer discussion
• Apply current research when evaluating sitting, standing, and positional tolerance performance
• Determine the role and value of musculoskeletal testing within contemporary FCE practice and impairment evaluations
• Interpret evidence supporting advanced upper extremity testing methods, including grip testing, coefficient of variation, rapid exchange grip, and dexterity assessment
• Select evidence-based material handling methodologies for determining occasional and frequent lifting abilities
• Critique and defend complex FCE findings using current literature and advanced clinical reasoning

Day 2: Legal Defensibility, Case Law, and Expert Testimony

By the end of Day 2, participants will be able to:

• Interpret the implications of the ADA, ADAAA, FMLA, EEOC regulations, and workers' compensation law on FCE practice
• Apply legal and regulatory requirements when making return-to-work and employment-related recommendations
• Differentiate between Daubert and Frye standards and their impact on admissibility of FCE evidence
• Develop documentation strategies that exceed legal standards for validity, reliability, and defensibility
• Analyze significant functional capacity evaluation court decisions and their influence on clinical practice
• Evaluate opposing functional capacity evaluation reports and identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas of concern
• Prepare for depositions, expert witness testimony, and attorney questioning related to FCE findings
• Demonstrate effective communication techniques during legal proceedings involving functional capacity evaluations
• Apply expert witness principles through participation in mock deposition activities
• Defend clinical conclusions using evidence-based literature, objective findings, and accepted testing methodologies