title: Physician limitations when assessing work capacity: a review.
abstract: Literature evidence indicates that physicians have great difficulty in translating medical impairment into functional limitation and thereby establishing the work capacity or the residual functional capacity (RFC) of the injured worker. This is especially true for the chronic pain patient (CPP). Development of quantitative methods for the measurement of functional capacity (FC), have not improved the problems involved in the measurement of RFC and the translation of RFC into the demand minimum functional capacity (DMFC) of some job or jobs. The relationship between FC, RFC, work capacity and DMFC is reviewed. We have developed a method/battery for measuring RFC in CPPs utilizing the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) which is readily translatable into DMFC of some job or jobs. Suggestions are made for future directions in the measurement of work capacity.
authors.affiliation: University of Miami, Comprehensive Pain and Rehabilitation Center, 600 Alton Road, South Miami Beach, FL 33139, USA.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Fishbain
authors.affiliation: University of Miami, Comprehensive Pain and Rehabilitation Center, 600 Alton Road, South Miami Beach, FL 33139, USA.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Khalil
authors.affiliation: University of Miami, Comprehensive Pain and Rehabilitation Center, 600 Alton Road, South Miami Beach, FL 33139, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abdel-Moty
authors.affiliation: University of Miami, Comprehensive Pain and Rehabilitation Center, 600 Alton Road, South Miami Beach, FL 33139, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cutler
authors.affiliation: University of Miami, Comprehensive Pain and Rehabilitation Center, 600 Alton Road, South Miami Beach, FL 33139, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sadek
authors.affiliation: University of Miami, Comprehensive Pain and Rehabilitation Center, 600 Alton Road, South Miami Beach, FL 33139, USA.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Rosomoff
authors.affiliation: University of Miami, Comprehensive Pain and Rehabilitation Center, 600 Alton Road, South Miami Beach, FL 33139, USA.
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Rosomoff
keywords: Chronic pain; Functional capacity; Impairment; Injured worker; Residual functional capacity; Work capacity