FCE Interpreting & Communicating Results 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During FCE report writing, an evaluator should describe functional limitations using which type of language?
- Diagnostic and prognostic medical terminology
- Behavioral and observational terms tied to job task demands (Correct answer)
- Legal causation language linking injury to employer negligence
- Subjective patient-reported symptom descriptions only
Correct answer: Behavioral and observational terms tied to job task demands
FCE reports should use behavioral, observable, and job-demand-linked language that clearly communicates what the evaluee can and cannot functionally do.
Question 2: Which component of an FCE report directly addresses return-to-work recommendations?
- Medical history summary
- Functional job match analysis (Correct answer)
- Diagnostic imaging review
- Medication management plan
Correct answer: Functional job match analysis
A functional job match analysis compares the evaluee's demonstrated capacity to the physical demands of their specific job to guide return-to-work decisions.
Question 3: When an evaluee's heart rate during submaximal testing predicts a VO2 max below job requirements, this finding should be reported as:
- A definitive disability finding
- A cardiovascular contraindication to returning to work
- Insufficient cardiovascular endurance for the targeted physical demand level (Correct answer)
- Normal variation not requiring documentation
Correct answer: Insufficient cardiovascular endurance for the targeted physical demand level
Predicted VO2 max findings should be reported in terms of capacity relative to job demand levels, not as absolute disability determinations.
Question 4: In FCE communications, 'transferable skills analysis' refers to:
- Teaching the evaluee new job skills during the evaluation
- Identifying occupational alternatives consistent with demonstrated capacity (Correct answer)
- Transferring the FCE report to another evaluator for review
- Analyzing the evaluee's capacity to transfer objects between hands
Correct answer: Identifying occupational alternatives consistent with demonstrated capacity
Transferable skills analysis identifies alternative occupations the evaluee could perform based on their demonstrated functional abilities and prior work history.
Question 5: An FCE evaluator notices the evaluee's grip strength increases significantly on the final trial compared to earlier trials. What does this pattern typically suggest?
- True physiological fatigue followed by recovery
- Submaximal effort with volitional withholding in early trials (Correct answer)
- Equipment calibration error during initial trials
- An acute exacerbation of injury during testing
Correct answer: Submaximal effort with volitional withholding in early trials
Increasing grip strength across trials is inconsistent with genuine fatigue patterns and suggests the evaluee was not giving maximal effort on earlier attempts.
Question 6: Which section of an FCE report typically contains the evaluee's reported pain levels, functional history, and prior treatment?
- Summary and recommendations
- Background and medical history (Correct answer)
- Functional observations
- Physical demand level determination
Correct answer: Background and medical history
The background and medical history section documents the evaluee's self-reported history, prior treatment, and pain levels as baseline context for the evaluation.
Question 7: When communicating FCE results to a non-medical employer, the evaluator should prioritize:
- Detailed anatomical diagnoses and pathological findings
- Specific functional task capacities matched to job requirements (Correct answer)
- Psychological assessment scores and symptom validity findings
- Radiological reports and surgical history summaries
Correct answer: Specific functional task capacities matched to job requirements
Employers need functional task capacity information (lifting, carrying, sitting, standing) matched to job demands, not clinical diagnoses.
FCE Interpreting & Communicating Results 3
During FCE report writing, an evaluator should describe functional limitations using which type of language?