Physician limitations when assessing work capacity: a review

Issue title: The Injured Spine

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Fishbain, David A.^{; *} | Khalil, Tarek M. | Abdel-Moty, Elsayed | Cutler, Robert | Sadek, Soha | Rosomoff, Renee Steele | Rosomoff, Hubert L.

Affiliations: University of Miami, Comprehensive Pain and Rehabilitation Center, 600 Alton Road, South Miami Beach, FL 33139, USA

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author.

Abstract: Literature evidence indicates that physicians have great difficulty in translating medical impairment into functional limitation and thereby establishing the work capacity or the residual functional capacity (RFC) of the injured worker. This is especially true for the chronic pain patient (CPP). Development of quantitative methods for the measurement of functional capacity (FC), have not improved the problems involved in the measurement of RFC and the translation of RFC into the demand minimum functional capacity (DMFC) of some job or jobs. The relationship between FC, RFC, work capacity and DMFC is reviewed. We have developed a method/battery for measuring RFC in CPPs utilizing the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) which is readily translatable into DMFC of some job or jobs. Suggestions are made for future directions in the measurement of work capacity.

Keywords: Work capacity, Impairment, Residual functional capacity, Injured worker, Chronic pain, Functional capacity

DOI: 10.3233/BMR-1995-5203

Journal: Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 107-113, 1995