Matheson Philosophy on Workplace Safety and Work Injury Evaluation

Q & A: Clear Referral Questions for a Functional Capacity Evaluation

  

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Question:

Getting written referral questions is like pulling teeth. We are thinking about making a referral form that can be checked off. What do you think and do you have any other suggestions on getting those?

Answer:

Not getting clear referral questions sets you up to not be at the top of your game. Thinking Evaluators working important cases always develop a clear understanding of the purpose for evaluation as well as specific referral questions.

A step toward getting some kind of referral guidance is to use a form listing the questions you typically answer, like "Did the client provide full physical effort during testing?" or "Were the client's reports of pain and disability reliable?", etc. (For those who have completed the Functional Capacity Evaluation Certification Program, a sample form can be found in your course manual and on the website in the Resources section.)

Another idea is to use a triage format to guide the referral source through the thought process. Start with the types of FCEs you do: RTW SJSE (return-to-work, same job, same employer), RTW (return-to-work, not same job), residual capacity, Ability to Benefit, Short-Term Disability or Long-Term Disability. The triage is created by the system in which you work: when doing short- or long-term disability, does the system focus on "ability" or "restrictions"? The answer to this will guide the referral source in checking off the path the case will follow. If it is a RTW SJSE the referral source may want you to exclude any medical information from the published report.

In the long-term, educating your referral sources is the best solution. One tactic we found to work is to annually hold a luncheon for referral sources. Try to get case managers and support staff from physician's office to attend the lunch. The point of the lunch is a very short presentation on the subject of Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE). You would typically start with a discussion of how to refer, the uses of FCE, etc. (These days a brief discussion outlining the 7 uses of FCE would be a good opening to the discussion of how to refer.)

The key to the lunch is the short presentation followed by input from your audience: let them talk! You will find that seasoned referrers will have a lot to say about your services; less seasoned participants will tend to listen to the more experienced referrers. This is an excellent opportunity to build relationships with the new crop of potential referrers.

If all of this seems challenging, join my "How to Write an FCE Report" online course.

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