Article

Musculoskeletal injuries account for the largest proportion of
workplace injuries. In an attempt to predict, and subsequently manage, the risk
of sprains and strains in the workplace, employers are turning to pre-employment
screening. Functional capacity evaluations (FCEs) are increasing in popularity as
a tool for pre-employment screening despite limited published evidence for their
validity in healthy working populations. This narrative review will
present an overview of the state of the evidence for pre-employment functional
testing, propose a framework for decision-making to determine the suitability of
assessment tools, and discuss the role and potential ethical challenges for
physiotherapists conducting pre-employment functional testing. MAJOR FINDINGS:
Much of the evidence surrounding the validity of functional testing is in the
context of the injured worker and prediction of return to work. In healthy
populations, FCE components, such as aerobic fitness and manual handling
activities, have demonstrated predictability of workplace injury in a small
number of studies. This predictability improves when workers' performance is
compared with the job demands. This job-specific approach is also required to
meet anti-discrimination requirements. There are a number of practical
limitations to functional testing, although these are not limited to the
pre-employment domain. Physiotherapists need to have a clear understanding of the
legal requirements and potential ethical challenges that they may face when
conducting pre-employment functional assessments (PEFAs). CONCLUSIONS: Further
research is needed into the efficacy of pre-employment testing for workplace
injury prevention. Physiotherapists and PEFAs are just one part of a holistic
approach to workplace injury prevention.

Langue : ANGLAIS