Occupational health
What is a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE)?
5 min read
A Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) is a structured assessment of a person's physical ability to perform work-related tasks — such as bending, lifting, carrying and sustained effort. It produces objective evidence to inform return-to-work and workplace-adjustment decisions, rather than relying on how someone says they feel.
What does an FCE measure?
- Safe lifting and carrying capacity
- Bending, squatting and reaching tolerance
- Endurance for sustained or repetitive tasks
- How movement quality holds up under fatigue
Crucially, a good FCE is mapped to the actual demands of the person's role — the difference between a warehouse operative and a desk-based worker is the whole point.
Why does an FCE matter for return-to-work?
Return-to-work decisions are often made on subjective self-report, which is hard for occupational health teams to act on with confidence. An FCE replaces that with measured data: objective evidence of what a person can safely do now, so phased returns and adjustments are grounded in fact.
Traditional vs digital FCE
Conventional FCEs happen in person, in a clinic, and can be resource-intensive to schedule. Digital FCE uses motion capture to simulate job demands remotely — measuring joint angles and movement quality through a standard phone camera — making objective assessment far more accessible and repeatable over a recovery.
In ReVive, the FCE simulates real job demands — bending, squat endurance, safe lifting — to give occupational health objective evidence for return-to-work. It supports and assists clinicians; the fitness-for-work decision remains with them.
FAQ
Related questions
Is a Functional Capacity Evaluation a medical diagnosis?
No. An FCE assesses functional ability against work demands; it does not diagnose a condition. It provides objective evidence that supports clinical and occupational-health decisions.
Can an FCE be done remotely?
Yes. Digital FCE uses motion capture through a phone camera to measure movement against simulated job tasks, so it can be delivered remotely and repeated to track recovery over time.
See ReVive in action
A 30-minute walkthrough — motion capture, wearable integration and return-to-work modelling, live with our team.