Functional Capacity Evaluation

An FCE is an objective process for an individual’s physical capacities and functional abilities. The FCE matches human performance levels to the physical demands of a specific job, work activity, and/or occupation. The FCE is a useful tool in determining job placement, job accommodation, or return to work after injury or illness.
Sunshine Functional Capacity Evaluation is the most objective, reliable, valid, efficient, and safe. This 4 to 6-hour test compares an individual’s functional abilities to the physical demands of the job and determines a match that can be represented as a percentage.

Key Components of Our FCE:

We will conduct an in-depth, on-site analysis of essential job functions. We measure the critical physical demands and environmental factors that a specific job requires. Results can be documented in a variety of ways, depending on your needs:

  • A functional and scientific approach
  • Evidence-based testing methodology
  • Objective – Efficient – Safe
  • Standardized FCE that supports inter-rater and intrareader reliability
  • Customize each report to meet the needs of your client
  • Timely report generation with summary and recommendations
  • Consistency of effort and reliability of pain ratings

FCEs are Ordered for:
  • Physicians and other referral sources to facilitate appropriate referral and to integrate the findings into case management.
  • Insurance companies
  • Managed care organizations
  • Claims review organizations – to authorize, monitor, and remunerate for FCEs.

Who Can Benefit from FCE?

It can assist employers by determining the injured worker’s physical capacity for the workplace, determining the percentage of disability, and/or recommend the appropriate placement into a vocational program. As an objective third party, we take a candid approach and deliver a result you can trust. Our written results provide an objective evaluation of the employee’s true capabilities. Informed decisions can then be made regarding work restrictions, possible needs for additional training, work conditioning, or job placement. It will also help determine when needed, an actual percentage of disability.

An FCE May be Valuable When:
  • An attorney who needs to provide their client’s level of disability
  • A physician requiring evidence of disability
  • Someone who has been injured on the job
  • Someone applying for Social Security Disability benefits
  • Someone returning to work after an injury or illness
  • Someone seeking vocational rehab services
  • Someone injured in a catastrophic accident, an FCE can determine performance skills and abilities related to the former or new job
  • Students receiving transitional services from school to work

FCE Can Determine:
  • Goals for rehab or readiness for discharge
  • Return to work status
  • Case settlement
  • Disability status
  • Ability to meet job demands as part of the hiring process

Assessment of Worker’s Physical Abilities Include:
  • Sit, stand and walk tolerances
  • Repetitive and sustained upper extremity tolerances
  • Safe capacities for bend, lift, carry, push, pull
  • Repetitive and sustained lower extremity tolerance
  • Aerobic capacity and endurance for tasks