What is Workplace PT?
A comprehensive Physical Therapy Evaluation/Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) is performed for your company's valued employees. A FCE is a scientifically developed protocol and objective assessment to measure a worker's physical demand level (PDL) in order to evaluate their physical function and ability to perform essential work duties.
Who is Appropriate?
- Pre-work/post-offer employment worker: Assesses ability of worker to meet job demands as part of a hiring process
- Job transitioning worker: Determines worker's ability to meet demands of other job-specific tasks/activities
- Current/post-injury worker: Defines work ability status for vocational rehabilitation (full duty, modified duty, transitional duty)
- Current/post-injury worker: Demonstrates predictive value/highest probably of return to work without re-injury
- No injury worker: Evaluates functional work body mechanics to determine risk of future injury and kinetic adjustment recommendations for injury prevention
What to Expect in the Evaluation
A battery of standard objective tests and assessments administered:
- Initial tasks: subjective interview, medical records review, musculoskeletal screening, goal setting
- Functional job-specific tests: graded material-handling activities (lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling), positional tolerance (sitting, standing, walking, balancing, reaching, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, object handling/manipulation, gripping, hand dexterity)
The PTE/FCE report includes an overall physical demand level, a summary of job-specific physical abilities, a summary of performance consistency and overall voluntary effort, job match information, adaptations to enhance performance, and treatment recommendations.
Benefits
- Prevent future injuries and reduce risk of re-injury, thus decreasing worker's compensation cases and lowering amount of worker time-off due to injuries (hospitalization, surgeries, rehabilitation, pain)
- Increases safety, longevity, and sustainability of workers
- Improves worker's overall well-being and health