Fitness for duty exam – a practical way to avoid heavy workers’ compensation claims

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Fitness for Duty Exam – a Practical Way to Avoid Heavy Workers’ Compensation Claims Fitness for duty tests will help determine whether a worker can perform essential functions of a job without causing injury to himself / herself or other coworkers.

There are simple ways to avoid risks, though many of us do not take recourse to those. For instance, employers often end up paying heavy workers’ compensation claims which could have been avoided with some exercise of caution. In many organizations workers that are not fit to do the job are recruited at considerable risk to the employer.

The best way to avoid recruiting the wrong worker is by conducting FFD or Fitness for Duty tests.

These tests will help determine whether a worker can perform essential functions of a job without causing injury to himself / herself or other coworkers. When employees have been off work on account of a non-work or work related illness or condition, FFD can be used as a Return to Work Evaluation test.

The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and FFD

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The ADA requires employers not to discriminate against a disabled worker when hiring if he/she is able to do the essential functions of the job. When thinking of performing a FFD, employers must consider the following questions: • Can the worker perform essential functions • Does the worker have a medical condition that poses a threat to the health and safety of the worker and his/her co-workers If the answer to the above two questions is “yes,” then the employer can conduct a FFD and find out whether the worker is ready to work. Employers must also be aware about the reasonable accommodations in complying with the ADA. This cannot be overlooked in fitness for duty exams.

When to Conduct a FFD As an employer, you can legally perform fitness for duty exams. Workers’ Compensation laws as well as the Family and Medical Leave Act allow employers to request an independent medical opinion regarding an employee’s fitness for duty. Employers can go ahead with a fitness for duty evaluation in the following scenarios.

• When a worker is off work for more than five days • If the worker has a physical or mental condition that could affect his/her performance http://www.mosmedicalrecordreview.com/

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• In case of a job transfer to evaluate whether the worker can meet the essential job functions.

Physical Exam and Comprehensive Medical Record Review Part of FFD Test Fitness for duty exam involves a detailed physical exam of the employee and a comprehensive medical record review. Employers can utilize tests such as cardiovascular stress testing, functional capacity testing, alcohol and drug testing, job site analysis and other specialized testing to make a thorough and accurate evaluation. They can also consider holding discussions with a treating physician.

In Workers’ Compensation cases, accurate medical documentation is important. Accurate review of the medical records is necessary to substantiate the diagnosis of the employee’s physical or mental conditions. The medical professional conducting the fitness for duty exam needs all the information available to arrive at a correct decision. It is seen that very often what the employee says and what the medical records reveal may vary. This only reinforces the need for unbiased and unambiguous review of all medical records. Medical examiners called in to review the employee’s medical records will find the support of a reputable medical review company quite beneficial. The medical record review team comprising medical, legal and documentation specialists can provide comprehensive review of the employee’s medical history. This will aid in understanding all relevant medical aspects and arrive at a http://www.mosmedicalrecordreview.com/

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sensible decision that is right for both the employer and the employee.

Fitness for duty exams protect both employer and employee. It allows employers to do everything they can legally to find out whether an applicant can safely carry out the physical demands of a particular job, and thereby avoid the risk of a Workers’ Compensation claim that could have been avoided. Similarly, it also protects the employee as well as his/her coworkers from running the risk of a possible injury.

Posted by MOS Medical Record Review Company http://www.mosmedicalrecordreview.com/

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