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A Critical Review of Functional Capacity ... - Physical Therapy

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Table 2.<br />

Types <strong>of</strong> <strong>Functional</strong> <strong>Capacity</strong> Evaluationso<br />

I Actual Simulation Predicts Ability<br />

I<br />

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -<br />

Controlled Authors' instruction in process Authors' instruction in process<br />

Tests are actual simulations <strong>of</strong> phys~cal demands Tests simulate components <strong>of</strong> physical demands and predict physical<br />

demands<br />

Uncontrolled Instruction may be by test authors, self-taught, or by Instruction may be by test authors, self-taught, or by others who have<br />

others who have been instructed been instructed<br />

Tests are actual simulation <strong>of</strong> physical demands Tests simulate components <strong>of</strong> physical demands and predict physical<br />

demands<br />

"Reprinted from Tramposh%ith permission from Hanley & Belfus Inc, Philadelphid, Pa<br />

Table 3.<br />

Advantages and Disadvantages <strong>of</strong> Various Types <strong>of</strong> <strong>Functional</strong> <strong>Capacity</strong> Evaluationsa<br />

Type Advantages Disadvantages Examples<br />

"Controlled" (Actual Reasonable chance <strong>of</strong> inter/intra-rater Evaluator lacks flexibility to simulate a lsernhagen FCE<br />

Simulation) reliability specific iob<br />

Content validity easy to show<br />

Easy to use in court due to standard protocol<br />

Patients see job-relatedness<br />

"Controlled" (Predicts Best change <strong>of</strong> inter/intra-rater reliability Evaluator lacks flexibility to simulate a ERGOS system<br />

Ability) Easier standardization <strong>of</strong> test specific job<br />

Easy to use in court due to standard protocol Relies on construct validity<br />

Easiest to research due to control and More difficult for patients to see iob-<br />

standardization relatedness<br />

Tends to be the most expensive (for<br />

therapists to purchase)<br />

"Uncontrolled" (Actual Content validity easy to show Inter/intra-rater reliability difficult to Blankenship FCE<br />

Simulation) Flexibility to simulate a specific job control<br />

Clients see lob-relatedness More difficult to use in court-lack <strong>of</strong><br />

Most accessible for therapists protocol control<br />

Hardest to research due to lack <strong>of</strong><br />

standardization and protocol control<br />

"Uncontrolled" (Predicts Easier standardization <strong>of</strong> test Inter/intra-rater reliability difficult to Isometric/isokinetic<br />

Ability) control equipment<br />

Relies on construct validity<br />

More difficult to use in court-lack <strong>of</strong><br />

protocol control<br />

More difficult for patients to see lob-<br />

relatedness<br />

"Reprinted from Tramposh5 with permission from Hanley & Belfus Inc, Philadelphia. Pa.<br />

details the 2 categories, and Table 3 describes some <strong>of</strong><br />

the advantages and disadvantages <strong>of</strong> both categories.<br />

The comparison <strong>of</strong> uncontrolled versus controlled FCEs<br />

deals with issues such as type <strong>of</strong> training for FCE<br />

administration, degree <strong>of</strong> work simulation, ability to<br />

alter the test design, and generic versus job-specific<br />

testing. The classification into controlled and uncon-<br />

trolled categories focuses on different aspects <strong>of</strong> these<br />

issues, but the classification is arbitrary and overlapping.<br />

A new classification system is needed, one that further<br />

defines the methodological differences among the vari-<br />

ous types <strong>of</strong> FCEs.<br />

The commercially available FCEs and those developed<br />

within individual clinics all share the common goal <strong>of</strong><br />

attempting to measure work-related functional perfor-<br />

mance objectively. Whether they accomplish this objec-<br />

tive can be answered only with research. The differences<br />

in FCEs revolve around the way they assess cooperation<br />

and sincerity <strong>of</strong> effort and safety, determination <strong>of</strong> end<br />

points for stopping clients during performance <strong>of</strong> man-<br />

ual material-handling tests, use <strong>of</strong> isometric testing,<br />

training processes, degree <strong>of</strong> work simulation, ability to<br />

alter the test design, generic versus job-specific testing,<br />

expense <strong>of</strong> equipment, use <strong>of</strong> algorithms for scoring,<br />

methods <strong>of</strong> projecting endurance to an 8-hour workday,<br />

856 . King et al <strong>Physical</strong> <strong>Therapy</strong> . Volume 78 . Number 8 . August 1998

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