title: The predictive validity of the functional capacities evaluation.
abstract: This study tested the predictive validity of the Functional Capacities Evaluation (FCE), which included the following three components: a Medical History Review, a Client Activity Interview, and the Smith Physical Capacities Evaluation (SMITH-PCE) as the performance component. The FCE is used in conjunction with the Physical Demands and Environmental Conditions specified by the U.S. Department of Labor to predict a subject's ability to return to work. The study used a random sample of 52 subjects. An employment questionnaire served as a criterion measure of predictive validity. The data from the questionnaires were compared with predictions from the evaluations, and a lambdab test was applied to the data. Results suggested that for the sample analyzed, trained registered occupational therapists could use the FCE to predict a client's ability to return to work more accurately. The study was limited in that the sample used was drawn from clients seen in only one private practice and that only 42% of the questionnaires were returned.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004608:Eligibility Determination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation