FCE - Functional Capacity Evaluation

1. The APAS is a wide and varied toolbox for the professional Biomechanist, Physical Therapist, Doctor, Researcher, etc. It is capable of displacement, velocity and acceleraton measurements of a body segment or body joint. It is therefore possible to precisely measure human movement to within 1% of accuracy. If the movement is done repeatedly (gait, shoulder flexion, etc.) it is further possible to determine human consistency in the activity being measured. If you add peripherals such as force plates, EMG, it is than possible to broaden the toolbox application to kinetic forces and muscle electrical activity during motion. This also includes balance.
Therefore, between movement, kinetic forces (strength) and muscle activity, you can analyze any kinematic (motion analysis) and/ or kinetic (forces) that make up human performance.

2. Extraction of data: The APAS as it now exists is fully capable of extracting all the above data and analyzing it numerically or graphically with one of its many modules. One can extract movement data manually, graph results and extract mathematical data streams to get results.

3. FCE information: The medical and insurance community needs a method of measuring the functional ability of an Examinee after recovery of injury, either for workers compensation, disability trauma or automobile accidents. The APAS does not diagnosis but is used to assess residual dysfunction in terms of joint or body movement, total work strength or individual limb strength, muscle function and balance. With this information, the professional can assess residual effects of an injury. This data is than used to match the individuals current ability with his/ her job and decide whether the individual can return to full duty, partial duty or not at all. The data is objective and definitive in terms of results. The judgment of return to work is subjective and made by the professional when the objective data is in hand and assessed with regard to the professionals understanding of the diagnosis, surgery, treatment, complaints, etc. of the Examinee. This data can be extracted and formed in a simple and understandable report to the Insurance Company, Case Manager and/ or Doctor.

4. The process: The process of performing data collection, data reduction, data extraction and report formation can be done manually. Unfortunately, since it involves multiple sets of data to be accurate, this process can take many hours to perform. This is not practical in a business. Therefore, the APAS user can employ a variety of methods to streamline this process. One can hire a programmer to help. Often, this is a disaster because the programmer does not understand the system, or the goal of analysis, as Reuven has apparently found out.

5. The solution: Ariel Dynamics has the resources to work with a client to develop a streamline approach to data extraction and report formation. This is not a canned off the shelf program because each client has a unique set of needs and goals. However, the information necessary for FCE is finite (depending upon body part information). Therefore, with the aid of the Ariel Dynamics team, a PAR (performance analysis report mechanism) can be developed to suit the need of the client.

6. How to start: Israel FCE company needs to buy basic equipment (APAS) and cameras. One or two cameras is good but three is optimum. Start with simple analysis and add peripherals as the market demands, based on necessary information to please the industry and legal system.

In summary, to develop a streamlined report mechanism for FCE in the Israeli market, we need to form some sort of cooperative basis between ADI and the new Israeli FCE company. Together we can make a program that is cost effective for the insurance industry and profitable for the principles. We have done it many times before and have working models in place for many years. ADI remains ready to participate in this effort with its many resources.