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Functional Capacity Evaluation Research: Report from the Second International Functional Capacity Evaluation Research Meeting

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Abstract

Introduction Functional capacity evaluations are an important component of many occupational rehabilitation programs and can play a role in facilitating reintegration to work thus improving health and disability outcomes. The field of functional capacity evaluation (FCE) research has continued to develop over recent years, with growing evidence on the reliability, validity and clinical utility of FCE within different patient and healthy worker groups. The second International FCE Research Conference was held in Toronto, Canada on October 2nd 2014 adjacent to the 2014 Work Disability Prevention Integration conference. This paper describes the outcomes of the conference. Report Fifty-four participants from nine countries attended the conference where eleven research projects and three workshops were presented. The conference provided an opportunity to discuss FCE practice, present new research and provide a forum for discourse around the issues pertinent to FCE use. Conference presentations covered aspects of FCE use including the ICF–FCE interface, aspects of reliability and validity, consideration of specific injury populations, comparisons of FCE components and a lively debate on the merits of ‘Man versus Machine’ in FCE’s. Future directions Researchers, clinicians, and other professionals in the FCE area have a common desire to improve the content and quality of FCE research and to collaborate to further develop research across systems, cultures and countries.

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Acknowledgments

The following FCE researchers and clinicians have actively contributed to the discussion on research needs, reviewed this brief report, and agreed to be acknowledged for their contributions: Andre Bieleman, Beatrice Jansen, Dee Daly, Edwin Lee, Elizabeth Chapman, Glyn Smyth, Jenny Legge, Jill Galper, Karen Lynda, Keren Winer, Marcelle Priestley, Margot Miller, Martha Mikalsky, Mary Hackbart, Maurizio Trippolini, Megan Spavins, Micheal Carusa, Remko Soer, Rick Wickstrom, Rueben Escorpizo, Sonia Paquette, Steve Allison.

Conflict of interest

James, Gross and Reneman declare they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical standard

The scientific conference included no confidential data collection, so ethics approval was not pursued.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Health Sciences, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia

    C. L. James

  2. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Center for Rehabilitation, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    M. F. Reneman

  3. Department of Physical Therapy, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    D. P. Gross

Authors
  1. C. L. James
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  2. M. F. Reneman
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  3. D. P. Gross
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Correspondence to C. L. James.

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James, C.L., Reneman, M.F. & Gross, D.P. Functional Capacity Evaluation Research: Report from the Second International Functional Capacity Evaluation Research Meeting. J Occup Rehabil 26, 80–83 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-015-9589-y

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