by Karl Voigt Karl just answered this Pennsylvania workers’ compensation question on Avvo.com:
“Off work collecting WC 9 months with knee. Doc wants me to do an FCE. Can I choose who I want to go to?
Had left menisectomy on July 29, 2014. Had PT, cortisone, Euflaxxa, and more therapy. I am in pain and limp all the time Also told I am candidate for total knee replacement.Not sure if I want to do The total replacement because doctor said even I did he would not release me full duty. I am a delivery driver who is in and out of truck 100 or so times a day delivering pkgs weighing up to 150 lbs. He said to do FCE so he let company know my restrictions. So just want to know if I can choose the FCE facility.”
You can choose who performs the functional capacity evaluation.
You are well beyond the “captive period”, a relatively short period of time where you *may* have to treat with doctors chosen by your employer. You are free to choose your own medical care providers. You wrote that you have already gone undergone physical therapy. If you have developed a good rapport with your physical therapists, and they offer functional capacity evaluations (FCEs), it may not be a bad idea to test with the people most familiar with your condition. You are, of course, free to go elsewhere as well. Naturally, when you do undergo the test, there are some things you should know ahead of time. Namely, You should know that there are tests built into the test to gauge your effort and exertion. Many patients don’t know this, but you will likely be given a score to measure the validity of your effort. The doctor will use this score in actually prescribing your physical limitations. Therefore, It is important to put forth a strong and consistent effort during the examination, which is often conducted over several hours. This is not to say that you should hurt yourself. However, the therapist will be conducting periodic tests to gauge your effort. Good luck!
To see the full question, go to: http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/off-work-collecting-wc-9-months-with-knee—doc-wa-2140008.html?answered=true
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