FCE's and recommendations to provider

[Guest guest]

Just a quick question.....we use Ergoscience for our FCE's and have had good

results with the program. The question I have is regarding a provider and

lawyer that is requesting that the Physical Therapist that performed the FCE to

give a determination regarding if the patient should have permanent disability

and if not then what is the amount of hours the client should work per day and

also predict the amount of days per week that the client may not be capable of

working due to his disability.

My issue is that the provider should be making the determination regarding if

the client is disable or not....not the therapist. The therapist should only be

giving what the evaluation showed for that day.

How have other therapist dealt with this in the past with a lawyer and provider

that wants the therapist to determine the level of disability?

Any help would be welcomed.

Thanks

Morrow, MS, ATC

Practice Manager for Rehab Services, Occupational Health Services, & Employee

Health

Monroe Clinic

515 22nd Avenue

Monroe, WI 53566

Office

Pager

[Guest guest]

We've had this question in the past with some of our FCE's. Our response has

always been that the FCE documents the level at which the client performed

throughout the evaluation. It is up to the referring physician to make a

determination regarding the level of disability based on our FCE findings and

his history of treating that patient.

Amy Stelly

Clinic Coordinator (Office Manager)

LeBlanc, Chamberlain and Physical Therapy Services

4027 I-49 South Service Road

Opelousas, Louisiana 70570

Telephone: Facsimile:

________________________________

From: PTManager [PTManager ] On Behalf Of

Morrow [.Morrow@...]

Sent: Monday, April 21, 2008 8:20 PM

To: PTManager

Subject: FCE's and recommendations to provider

Just a quick question.....we use Ergoscience for our FCE's and have had good

results with the program. The question I have is regarding a provider and lawyer

that is requesting that the Physical Therapist that performed the FCE to give a

determination regarding if the patient should have permanent disability and if

not then what is the amount of hours the client should work per day and also

predict the amount of days per week that the client may not be capable of

working due to his disability.

My issue is that the provider should be making the determination regarding if

the client is disable or not....not the therapist. The therapist should only be

giving what the evaluation showed for that day.

How have other therapist dealt with this in the past with a lawyer and provider

that wants the therapist to determine the level of disability?

Any help would be welcomed.

Thanks

Morrow, MS, ATC

Practice Manager for Rehab Services, Occupational Health Services, & Employee

Health

Monroe Clinic

515 22nd Avenue

Monroe, WI 53566

Office

Pager

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[Guest guest]

Our clinic also uses Ergoscience's FCE program. Ergoscience also offers a class

on the AMA Impairment Rating method. Most commonly, we perform the FCE and

Impairment Rating, the referring physician co-signs the Impairment Rating

pending his agreement. Then, you have what the patient is capable of doing

physically, or what they are willing to do if there's a high % of self limiting

behavior.....lastly, you have a disablity rating that can be used to determine

Social Security earnings if they are indicated.

Hill, PT

Meridian, MS

-------------- Original message from " Morrow "

: --------------

Just a quick question.....we use Ergoscience for our FCE's and have had good

results with the program. The question I have is regarding a provider and lawyer

that is requesting that the Physical Therapist that performed the FCE to give a

determination regarding if the patient should have permanent disability and if

not then what is the amount of hours the client should work per day and also

predict the amount of days per week that the client may not be capable of

working due to his disability.

My issue is that the provider should be making the determination regarding if

the client is disable or not....not the therapist. The therapist should only be

giving what the evaluation showed for that day.

How have other therapist dealt with this in the past with a lawyer and provider

that wants the therapist to determine the level of disability?

Any help would be welcomed.

Thanks

Morrow, MS, ATC

Practice Manager for Rehab Services, Occupational Health Services, & Employee

Health

Monroe Clinic

515 22nd Avenue

Monroe, WI 53566

Office

Pager