Functional assessment involves examining and evaluating an individual’s ability to safely and effectively perform functional activities.  Functional assessment is the evaluation of the actual level of function, as opposed to the perceived level of function.  Functional activities are described as physical activities that simulate or involve an actual work or practical task.  Functional activities include Activities of Daily Living, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, recreational activities and work-specific tasks.

Functional Assessment requires sound clinical skills and comprehension of the science of work (Ergonomics), how work is measured, how the human body responds to work demands, how to measure functional levels, human physiology and the pathomechanics of injury development.  ErgoRehab's approach to Functional Assessment involves improving the clinician’s fundamental skills and understanding of how to assess and document functional activities.

Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs) are detailed objective tests that provide a measurement of an individual’s functional abilities compared to the physical demands of work.  Functional Capacity testing assesses an individual’s ability to safely and effectively perform work-specific functions, including: manual material handling, non-material handling and positional tolerances in accordance with the revised Dictionary of Occupational Titles.

FCEs are becoming an increasingly effective tool in determining return to work readiness.  These objective, functional evaluations along with medical prognosis have proven to be an effective means for safe and appropriate return to work determinations.  Other applications of the FCE include functional testing for non-work-related injuries and illnesses, evaluating disability and impairment, evaluating an individual’s ability to perform Activities of Daily Living and documenting an individual’s behavior and effort level.

The Health Ergonomics approach to Functional Capacity Evaluations is to provide information about core fundamentals in FCE testing that is consistent with Guidelines established by the American Physical Therapy Association and other credible sources.  The Health Ergonomics approach to FCEs involves improving the clinician’s fundamental skills and understanding of how to assess and document functional activity testing.  These skills in functional assessment are the core competency of FCE testing. 

Return to Work Programs:

Return to Work Programs are specialized programs aimed at safely and effectively returning an injured work back to work.  Return to Work Programs may include; Work Hardening, Work Conditioning or Work Integration Programs.  A specialized form of a return to work program is a work injury containment program that offers a one-time assessment of the ergonomic and injury risk of a worker who it attempting to return to primary work duties.

The vast majority of injured workers who receive prompt and appropriate medical intervention can return to work without the need for additional therapeutic programs.  On the other hand, there is a smaller percentage of injured workers who are not able to return to work because of problems associated with the injury or its consequences.  These cases tend to hurt industry the most due to the direct and indirect costs associated with lost time from work.  In these circumstances, the focus of rehabilitation shifts from addressing the acute stages of the injury to the functional restoration of work specific duties.  Return to work programs are structured and goal-oriented programs designed to return an injured worker back to work.

To ensure effective outcomes for Return to Work Programs, ErgoRehab provides educational material for Return to Work Programs.  The material will teach the reader the difference of each of the types of Return to Work Programs, present topics in clinical management, teach how to address the acutely injured worker, teach how to identify factors predictive of RTW, and how to measure functional outcomes to enhance RTW programs.  Work injury management and return to work are a primary focus in worker rehab and therefore of ErgoRehab, Inc.

Health Ergonomics and Work Injury Management:

Health Ergonomics is the study of the interaction between work, the worker and the work environment.  Health Ergonomics is the fundamental basis behind the relationship between workload and tissue damage and fatigue that ultimatley leads to cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs).  Traditionally, ergonomics deals with issues of engineering design and production efficiency.  However, health ergonomics becomes an equally important factor in disability management, or work injury management when treating injured workers.  Health ergonomic skills and training enhance the ability of rehabilitation professionals to assess the work site, identify the work-related (ergonomic) risk factors, and understand the pathology behind the mechanism of injury.  These skills are needed to identify potential risk factors that may aggravate the injury and to make recommendations for specific accomodations to allow a safe return to work for the injured worker.  Health Ergonomics is an essential aspect of disability management in worker rehabilitation.

Work Injury Prevention Programs:

 Work injury prevention programs are services whcih are focused on identifying job or job activities that are considered high risk for injury or re-injury.  Prevention programs include: Pre-employment programs, work injury screening, employee education, job task analysis programs and onsite ergonomics programs.  When performing these programs, the evaluator should have a strong knowledgebase in work injury development, prevention and ergonomic risk factors.  Work injury prevention is an integral part of health ergonomics.

Ergonomic Computer Accessories Online Store: Ergonomics Products and Solutions

The one stop shop for your computer work injury prevention and management needs. Ergonomic product solutions include: foot rests, task lighting, document holders, the best ergonomic mouse options on the market, laptop accessories for an ever growing problem of poor posture due to laptop configurations, mouse pads, keyboard trays and much more!