Reason for Physical Abilities Test
Businesses in the medical, manufacturing, transportation, or retail sectors understand the burden of worker’s compensation claims. These industries often require that workers perform a variety of physical tasks on a daily basis. Placing employees in physically demanding roles that they are incapable of can increase the chance of workplace injuries and accidents. This in turn increases insurance premiums and worker’s comp claims.
While a resume and interview can provide insight on an employee’s qualifications, they do not evaluate an employee’s capacity to take on physically demanding tasks related to their job description. Physical Abilities Tests can help an employer ensure that every employee within an organization is placed in the position that fits their physical abilities, cutting down on work place incidents and possibly garnering discounts with insurers.
Understanding the Physical Abilities Test
A physical ability test (PAT) consists of a series of tasks done in a clinical environment. A PAT tries to replicate the physical demands of a job description as closely as possible. The PAT evaluates the employee’s capacity to perform work-related physical tasks as needed. Employers most often administer PAT’s to employees before placing them in a physically demanding position. However, many companies also choose to administer a PAT after an employee returns to work post-injury to determine if they are fit for duty.
The PAT includes everyday physical tasks an employee might face while working. Acknowledging differences among industries and positions, Mobile Health customizes PAT’s for each client. Consequently, it may include tasks like lifting weights, standing and sitting repeatedly, pushing wheelchairs, and other such work related tasks. That allows the test to evaluate an employee’s readiness to work in physically intensive environments.
For the healthcare industry, Mobile Health developed a special PAT called the Healthcare Physical Abilities Test (HPAT). Healthcare organizations find the HPAT acceptable for many provider positions, such as home care workers and nurses.
The HPAT evaluates:
- Range of motions of upper extremities
- Aerobic capacity
- Strength
- Body mechanics
- Balance
- Ability to follow directions
What happens during HPAT:
The simple process of scheduling your employee’s PAT at Mobile Health begins with setting up an account. Because Mobile Health customizes each client’s physical abilities tests, our account managers will help you review your organization’s needs and design a package for your organization.
Part of your account set-up includes access to the Mobile Health Client Portal. The Client Portal provides the ability to schedule your employees for any tests or procedures at any Mobile Health location. The results will be delivered electronically to the Client Portal in a HIPAA compliant format following a completed exam.
Clients can schedule appointments and review results 24/7 from any desktop computer. All records remain archived online and easily accessible in the case of an audit or independent review.
