Chughtai T1, Manns P2, Muir I2, Gross D2
1CBI Health Centre, Fort McMurrary, Canada, 2University of Alberta, Physical Therapy, Edmonton, Canada
Background: Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCE) are performance-based assessments of work ability that are used to make recommendations for participation in work and other activities of daily living. FCE information regarding work ability often forms the basis of rehabilitation and return-to-work (RTW) planning. FCEs typically assess required physical job demands of work within a simulated environment (i.e. clinics), with FCE performance compared to required job demands. FCE protocols can be lengthy and often take place over multiple sessions or days. Short-form FCE protocols have been shown to lead to comparable RTW and clinical outcomes and predict RTW as well as a full protocols. Short-form FCE decreases burden of testing but construct validity is uncertain.
Purpose: We examined the construct validity of the short-form FCE protocol by testing factors associated with performance during short-form FCE of workers' compensation claimants with musculoskeletal conditions. We hypothesized that factors associated with claimant performance would be the same as those associated with performance on full FCE protocols, with moderate sized correlations observed with self-report functional tests.
Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used. A secondary analysis was conducted on data previously collected for examining effectiveness of short-form-FCE. Participants were workers' compensation claimants assessed between October 18, 2004 through May 6, 2005, at a workers' compensation rehabilitation facility in Edmonton, Canada. Measures included demographic variables (i.e. age, sex), patient reported outcomes (i.e. pain intensity, self-reported disability, recovery expectations), and measures of FCE performance (number of 'failed' items and floor-to-waist lift performance). Analysis included univariate correlation coefficients and multivariable linear regression.
Results: The dataset included 450 workers' compensation claimants with a variety of musculoskeletal disorders. The majority of claimants were employed (74%) and male (70%). Average age of the sample was 43 years. Self-reported disability, age, and sex were independently associated with floor-to-waist lift performance, with self-reported disability having the largest standardized beta coefficient (-0.55). Self-reported disability, expectations of recovery, and duration of FCE (one or two sessions) had significant, independent influences on the number of failed FCE items, and again self-reported disability had the highest standardized beta coefficient (-0.34). Younger, male claimants who reported lower levels of disability lifted to higher levels during FCE. Claimants tested over two FCE sessions who reported lower levels of disability and pain intensity had a lower number of failed FCE items.
Conclusion(s): Better performance on short-form FCE was consistently and moderately associated with lower self-reported disability. Results support the construct validity of this short-form FCE protocol. Further research is needed to evaluate the validity of short-form FCE in other contexts
Implications: Combined with previous observations of reduced burden of testing,significant prediction of RTW, and comparable RTW outcomes as full FCE protocols, short-form FCE protocols are an efficient option for clinicians undertaking work ability assessments.
Keywords: Disability Evaluation, Compensation and Redress, Return-to-Work
Funding acknowledgements: No funding was received in support of this research
Purpose: We examined the construct validity of the short-form FCE protocol by testing factors associated with performance during short-form FCE of workers' compensation claimants with musculoskeletal conditions. We hypothesized that factors associated with claimant performance would be the same as those associated with performance on full FCE protocols, with moderate sized correlations observed with self-report functional tests.
Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used. A secondary analysis was conducted on data previously collected for examining effectiveness of short-form-FCE. Participants were workers' compensation claimants assessed between October 18, 2004 through May 6, 2005, at a workers' compensation rehabilitation facility in Edmonton, Canada. Measures included demographic variables (i.e. age, sex), patient reported outcomes (i.e. pain intensity, self-reported disability, recovery expectations), and measures of FCE performance (number of 'failed' items and floor-to-waist lift performance). Analysis included univariate correlation coefficients and multivariable linear regression.
Results: The dataset included 450 workers' compensation claimants with a variety of musculoskeletal disorders. The majority of claimants were employed (74%) and male (70%). Average age of the sample was 43 years. Self-reported disability, age, and sex were independently associated with floor-to-waist lift performance, with self-reported disability having the largest standardized beta coefficient (-0.55). Self-reported disability, expectations of recovery, and duration of FCE (one or two sessions) had significant, independent influences on the number of failed FCE items, and again self-reported disability had the highest standardized beta coefficient (-0.34). Younger, male claimants who reported lower levels of disability lifted to higher levels during FCE. Claimants tested over two FCE sessions who reported lower levels of disability and pain intensity had a lower number of failed FCE items.
Conclusion(s): Better performance on short-form FCE was consistently and moderately associated with lower self-reported disability. Results support the construct validity of this short-form FCE protocol. Further research is needed to evaluate the validity of short-form FCE in other contexts
Implications: Combined with previous observations of reduced burden of testing,significant prediction of RTW, and comparable RTW outcomes as full FCE protocols, short-form FCE protocols are an efficient option for clinicians undertaking work ability assessments.
Keywords: Disability Evaluation, Compensation and Redress, Return-to-Work
Funding acknowledgements: No funding was received in support of this research
Topic: Occupational health & ergonomics; Outcome measurement; Musculoskeletal
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: University of Alberta
Ethics committee: Health Research Ethics Board
Ethics number: Pro00063067
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
