Work-related Functional Capacity Evaluation with the Sapphire System®: Assessment of Consistency and Pain Behavior in the Context of Employment Status

• Published in: Die Rehabilitation Vol. 58; no. 3; p. 191
• Main Authors: Geissler, Norbert, Andreeva, Elena, Moesch, Wilhelm, Gutenbrunner, Christoph
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: German
• Published: Germany 01.06.2019
• Subjects: Employment - statistics & numerical data; Germany; Humans; Pain - psychology; Reproducibility of Results; Work Capacity Evaluation; Germany
• ISSN: 1439-1309
• DOI: 10.1055/a-0617-9904

The study investigates pain behaviour and consistency of results in the framework of work-related functional capacity evaluation with the FCE assessment system Sapphire®. We included 129 inpatients from orthopaedic rehabilitation. The subjects were subdivided into 4 groups according to their Sapphire test results: (1) overt pain behaviour, no test inconsistency, (2) lack of consistency, no pain-related self-limitation, (3) overt pain behaviour with test inconsistency (complex peculiarities) and (4) no peculiarities in pain behaviour or in test consistency (reference group). Multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the associations with potential predictors of these peculiarities. Disability claim was strongly associated with biased test results co-occurring with overt pain behaviour. In contrast, no associations were observed between disability claim and isolated appearance of pain behaviour. Assessments of consistency and pain behaviour are helpful for detecting biased test results and maladaptive coping with pain. Further research to clarify the role of maladaptive coping with pain and motivational deficits can be advocated.