Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Practical aspects of functional capacity evaluations.

Glenn S Pransky1, Patrick G Dempsey

  • 1Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Center for Disability Research, Hopkinton, Massachusetts, USA. glenn.pransky@libertymutual.com

Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation
|May 26, 2004
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A taxonomy of surface mining slip, trip, and fall hazards as a guide to research and practice.

Applied ergonomics·2021
Same author

Safely Returning America to Work Part II: Industry-Specific Guidance.

Journal of occupational and environmental medicine·2021
Same author

Ergonomics assessment methods used by ergonomics professionals.

Applied ergonomics·2019
Same author

Risk assessment of recordable occupational hearing loss in the mining industry.

International journal of audiology·2019
Same author

Emerging Ergonomics Issues and Opportunities in Mining.

International journal of environmental research and public health·2018
Same author

Maintenance and repair injuries in US mining.

Journal of quality in maintenance engineering·2018
Same journal

Correction: Determinants of Sustainable Return to Work After Burnout or Depression: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Journal of occupational rehabilitation·2026
Same journal

Are There Differences in Return-to-Work Experiences for Workers Who Acquired COVID-19 at Work Compared to Workers who Sustained a Non-COVID-19 Work-Related Injury or Illness?

Journal of occupational rehabilitation·2026
Same journal

Association Between Mental Health of Patients with Work-Related Injury and Their Compensation Claim Status: Exploratory Findings from the IMPRovE Trial.

Journal of occupational rehabilitation·2026
Same journal

Longterm Persistence and Scalability of a Coordinated Return to Work Model in Healthcare: A Registry-Based Study Across Clinical Pathways.

Journal of occupational rehabilitation·2026
Same journal

Supporting Work Participation in Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Disorders: Outcomes from Work-Able Solutions a Multisite Work-Focused Occupational Therapy Intervention.

Journal of occupational rehabilitation·2026
Same journal

Cost-Consequence Analysis of the Return to Work (RTW) Program for Workers with Disabilities in Indonesia: Health, Economic and Productivity Outcomes.

Journal of occupational rehabilitation·2026
See all related articles

Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs) assess work capacity but have persistent scientific and practical concerns. More research is needed to link FCE results to occupational outcomes for better clinical and administrative use.

Area of Science:

  • Occupational medicine
  • Rehabilitation science
  • Forensic biomechanics

Background:

  • Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs) are widely used by physicians, employers, and insurers to assess physical work capacity.
  • Despite decades of use, significant scientific, legal, and practical concerns remain regarding FCEs.
  • FCEs theoretically compare job demands with worker capabilities, but their application is complex.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically evaluate the scientific, legal, and practical concerns associated with Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs).
  • To assess the validity and reliability of FCEs in determining musculoskeletal capacity for work.
  • To identify areas requiring further research to define the role of FCEs in clinical and administrative settings.

Main Methods:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Review of the theoretical model underlying FCEs.
  • Analysis of factors influencing the validity of FCE results, including job simulation and assessment intensity.
  • Examination of reliability for serial data collection in worker rehabilitation.
  • Evaluation of challenges in assessing sincerity of effort, complex job performance, and injury prediction.

    • Main Results:

    • FCE validity is highest with accurate job simulation and detailed assessments of specific work activities.
    • Questionable validity arises when test criteria are unrelated to job performance or rely on subjective criteria.
    • Reliability may be adequate for tracking rehabilitation progress, but assessing sincerity of effort and predicting injury is problematic.
    • A significant gap exists in research linking FCE results to actual occupational outcomes.

    Conclusions:

    • Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs) require more rigorous validation, particularly concerning job-specific performance and objective criteria.
    • Current FCE methodologies face challenges in accurately assessing an individual's true functional capacity and predicting occupational outcomes.
    • Further research linking FCE data to occupational outcomes is essential to refine their application in clinical and administrative decision-making.