Functional capacity evaluation: An essential component of South African occupational therapy work practice services

Issue title: Occupational Work Therapy Practice in South Africa

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Buys, Tania | van Biljon, Hester

Affiliations: Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Care Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, PO Box 667, Pretoria, 0001 South Africa | Private Practitioner in Vocational Rehabilitation, Johannesburg, South Africa

Note: [] Corresponding author. Tel.: +27 12 329 7800; Fax: +27 12 329 7800; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: South African occupational therapists have been involved in the delivery of work practice services since the inception of the profession in this country. Initial development in this area of practice appeared slow but following the acceptance of South Africa's first democratic Constitution in 1996, many opportunities for service delivery were facilitated by the implementation of disability equity legislation. One of the key services offered by practitioners is Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE). Although the outcomes of FCE are many, the process in essentially the same. This entails: referral, the initial interview, evaluation of performance components and ADL, vocational evaluation, obtaining collateral and the closure interview, the work visit, hypothesis testing and reporting. This article reports on the Functional Capacity Evaluation process as followed by South African occupational therapists in various contexts.

Keywords: Work practice services, people with disabilities, employment equity legislation

Journal: Work, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 31-36, 2007