Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) is a structured assessment that measures a person’s ability to perform work-related tasks safely. It helps identify work capacity, physical limitations, functional restrictions, and return-to-work ability in workers’ compensation, motor accident, and medicolegal matters.
Functional Capacity Evaluation involves assessing the most common functional tasks in a simulated environment before the client performs those tasks in the real world. It looks at function rather than diagnosis alone, helping referrers understand how an injury or condition affects work duties, physical activity, and daily tasks.
FCE supports broader services such as medical examinations, injury management, impairment assessments, and file reviews.
Functional Capacity Evaluation is a process where the most common functions, such as the ability to tolerate sitting, standing, walking, stairs, lifting from various heights, and push-pull-carrying ability are measured in a repetitive manner with feedback cycles. Awareness is created for safe manual handling, self pacing and self management strategies. It gives objective information about what tasks a person can do, how long they can do them, and what restrictions apply. This supports decision-making in workers’ compensation, motor accident claims, and related medicolegal matters, including matters that also involve telehealth services.
This approach aligns with recognised frameworks for functional assessment and recovery planning, including the SIRA Workers Compensation Guidelines, the Functional Assessment Practice Standards, and the National Return to Work Strategy.
Evaluate Medicolegal provides Functional Capacity Evaluation services across Australia for insurers, solicitors, employers, and rehabilitation stakeholders. Our focus is on clear, practical, and decision-ready information that supports claims management, recovery planning, and medicolegal decision-making.
We support matters across workers’ compensation, occupational health, and personal injury frameworks with access to experienced clinicians, a national network of medical experts, and structured quality processes that help maintain clarity and consistency in reporting.
Clear reporting
Work capacity and functional ability are explained in practical, easy-to-apply terms.
Return-to-work support
Objective evidence
National service
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