About ErgoScience
In 1988, Deborah E. Lechner, PT, MS, and her research colleagues at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), evaluated all commercially available FCEs for an outcomes research project. After extensive investigation and review, the research team found that none of the available systems met all their criteria for a well-designed and validated test. They changed the focus of their project to develop a new FCE protocol and to establish its reliability and validity.
The team of researchers maintained an open mind with the goal of determining the most effective protocols BEFORE the system was commercially available. The UAB research team was not committed to a particular approach, nor was it attempting to prove that it was best. Through extensive experimentation with many approaches and techniques, the ErgoScience FCE (PWPE™) was completed, emphasizing standardization, objectivity, reliability and validity in clinical measurement. It was peer-reviewed and accepted for publication in the Journal of Occupational Medicine.
At the urging of the UAB Research Foundation, the FCE was made commercially available. ErgoScience, Inc. was founded for the purpose of providing the research-based FCE (PWPE™) both nationally and internationally.
Since its founding in 1992, ErgoScience has continued to lead in the field of industrial rehabilitation by providing workplace injury prevention & rehabilitation services throughout the employee life cycle. Prevention services include Jobs Demands Analysis, Post-Offer Functional Screens and Ergonomic Assessment & Programs. Post injury services include Acute-Care Management, Return-to-Work Screens, Work Conditioning, Transitional Duty Programs, Onsite Therapy Services, as well as FCEs.
Combining her research background with 25+ years of clinical experience, Deborah Lechner continues to lead in the field of industrial rehabilitation as the Founder and President of ErgoScience. Under Deborah’s leadership, ErgoScience continues to maintain a scientifically driven research focus with all of its products and protocols. Continually striving to improve its products and protocols through research and development is a hallmark of ErgoScience. In addition, we serve customers with an international clinic network of over 850 clinics, which keeps ErgoScience on the cutting edge of industrial rehabilitation.
ErgoScience. The Injury Prevention Experts.
Contact us today for more information.
The team of researchers maintained an open mind with the goal of determining the most effective protocols BEFORE the system was commercially available. The UAB research team was not committed to a particular approach, nor was it attempting to prove that it was best. Through extensive experimentation with many approaches and techniques, the ErgoScience FCE (PWPE™) was completed, emphasizing standardization, objectivity, reliability and validity in clinical measurement. It was peer-reviewed and accepted for publication in the Journal of Occupational Medicine.
At the urging of the UAB Research Foundation, the FCE was made commercially available. ErgoScience, Inc. was founded for the purpose of providing the research-based FCE (PWPE™) both nationally and internationally.
Since its founding in 1992, ErgoScience has continued to lead in the field of industrial rehabilitation by providing workplace injury prevention & rehabilitation services throughout the employee life cycle. Prevention services include Jobs Demands Analysis, Post-Offer Functional Screens and Ergonomic Assessment & Programs. Post injury services include Acute-Care Management, Return-to-Work Screens, Work Conditioning, Transitional Duty Programs, Onsite Therapy Services, as well as FCEs.
Combining her research background with 25+ years of clinical experience, Deborah Lechner continues to lead in the field of industrial rehabilitation as the Founder and President of ErgoScience. Under Deborah’s leadership, ErgoScience continues to maintain a scientifically driven research focus with all of its products and protocols. Continually striving to improve its products and protocols through research and development is a hallmark of ErgoScience. In addition, we serve customers with an international clinic network of over 850 clinics, which keeps ErgoScience on the cutting edge of industrial rehabilitation.
ErgoScience. The Injury Prevention Experts.
Contact us today for more information.
Company FAQs
Q: What is FCE?
A: Functional Capacity Evaluations are a valid and recognized method of testing for specific physical abilities necessary to perform work activities, whether the demands of the job are sedentary, very physically demanding, or somewhere in between. FCE testing can identify a client’s safe, maximum physical capacities for performing work.
Q: How long does an FCE last?
A: Length of an FCE can vary based on what is being evaluated. Time of testing can vary from approximately 2 hours to 2 days. On average, a whole body functional capacity evaluation lasts 3-4 hours.
Q: Who decides if an FCE is needed?
A: Your physician may request that an FCE be completed. Also, worker’s compensation and/or disability insurance carriers may require an FCE to be completed as a part of your contractual obligations.
Q: What does an FCE involve?
A: A typical FCE will include tests to evaluate strength, position tolerance, mobility and endurance. If required, specific tests can be added to assess balance, coordination, fine motor function of the hands/fingers or job specific activities. Heart rate and blood pressure are typically checked and the client is usually asked to provide verbal pain scores periodically throughout the test.
Q: What do I wear to an FCE appointment?
A: For an FCE appointment, you should wear comfortable clothing that does not restrict body movement. Also, please wear shoes with non slip soles, such as tennis or workout shoes.
Q: What is Job Demands Analysis?
A: Job Demands Analysis, or JDA, is the quantitative evaluation of physical demands required to perform a specific job. ErgoScience trained Job Demands Analysts quantify these demands by on site visits to the job site that include video recordings, interviews, and detailed job task analysis. Reports are formulated listing the specific job demands and the percent of the workday each demand is performed. These JDA reports can also serve as AADA and EEOC compliant job descriptions.
Q: What is Post-Offer Screening?
A: Post-Offer Screening is a byproduct of Job Demands Analysis. After quantifying the specific demands of the job, custom physical work assessment screens can be formulated to test that applicants for a job possess the necessary physical capacities to perform the job.
