Functional Capacity Evaluation Flashcards

During a Functional Capacity Evaluation, which principle guides the evaluator when a client's self-reported pain prevents them from completing a task they appear physically capable of performing?

Answer: Apply the concept of symptom magnification and document inconsistencies

Evaluators document performance inconsistencies using standardized validity indicators rather than making definitive malingering determinations.

Which standardized measure is most commonly used in FCEs to assess a client's level of safe material handling ability relative to the Dictionary of Occupational Titles?

Answer: Isernhagen Work Systems FCE

The Isernhagen Work Systems FCE is a widely used criterion-referenced battery that directly maps to DOT physical demand levels.

A vocational evaluator conducting an FCE notes that a client's heart rate exceeds 85% of age-predicted maximum during a lifting task. The BEST course of action is to:

Answer: Stop the task and allow recovery before reassessing

Exceeding 85% of age-predicted maximum heart rate is a safety-based stopping criterion requiring rest before continuation.

When an FCE report must address return-to-work feasibility, the evaluator should compare the client's demonstrated capacities to which primary source?

Answer: A current job demands analysis of the specific position

A current job demands analysis provides the most accurate and legally defensible comparison point for return-to-work decisions.

Which validity criterion used in FCEs compares a client's performance across multiple trials of the same task to assess consistency of effort?

Answer: Coefficient of variation

A coefficient of variation below 15% across repeated trials is generally accepted as indicating consistent, reliable effort.

In the context of FCE methodology, 'safe maximum' performance is best defined as:

Answer: The level of exertion sustainable without clinical signs of harm

Safe maximum is the highest performance level achievable without physiological, biomechanical, or safety warning signs.

An FCE conducted for Social Security Disability determination differs from a workers' compensation FCE primarily because it must:

Answer: Address the claimant's ability to sustain work activity over an 8-hour day

Social Security evaluations require assessment of sustained work capacity across a full workday, not just peak performance snapshots.