title: Functional assessment of injured workers: a profile of assessor practices.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Considerable controversy and limited information surrounds the use of performance-based functional assessments for determining an injured worker's ability to function at work.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Amidst a variety of protocols, philosophies and tools, the key aspects of different assessment approaches are described and compared across a range of assessment provider organizations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative and quantitative strategies were used to generate an in-depth understanding of the different assessment practices among 23 Southern Ontario assessment providers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Assessment approaches share common elements and variations that can be described along the continua of five dimensions: nature of assessor-evaluee interactions, fixed or flexible protocol delivery, efforts to contextualize, perceptions and use of evidence, and provider organizational environment. These approach dimensions are offered as a focus for appraising practices.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Assessors need to reflect upon to what extent they are using a whole person, client-centred approach directed by clinical reasoning amidst a market driven industry.
authors.affiliation: St Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, ON. strongs@mcmaster.ca
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Strong
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baptiste
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Harry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shannon
authors.forename: Rhoda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reardon
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sinclair
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation