Functional capacity evaluation, impairment rating, and applied certification processes

Functional capacity evaluation and impairment rating service delivery systems are enjoying a growth unsurpassed by any ancillary service system in the health care industry. Medical, osteopathic, and chiropractic physicians are establishing partnerships with allied health care professionals who are trained in functional capacity evaluation and impairment rating protocols. The resulting growth has led to new research in this specialized health care industry such that reliability and validity are being reviewed and credibility is being applied to both evaluative processes. One outcome from research has been the development of certification by two agencies in functional capacity evaluation and impairment rating. This paper reviews the credentialling process and applied research which has been conducted in both evaluation environments and reviews the impairment rating and functional capacity evaluation process in detail. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.