State of the Science in Validity of Effort Testing

X-RTS, an acronym for "cross-reference testing system" is a cost-effective family of tools for use in physical therapy, industrial rehabilitation and athletic training facilities.  We specialize in developing products which objectively classify validity of effort---and we fill a void that has created the litigious "expert witness" culture surrounding functional capacity evaluations.  Our system enables the test administrator to assess test behavior in a legally defensible manner. 

The X-RTS Hand Strength Assessment, supported by our original research, published in the Journal of Hand Therapy.  The X-RTS Hand Strength Assessment, shown to be 99.5% accurate in the classification of effort, stands in contrast to other methods which have a known error rate of 30%.  In the past 20 years, at least 25 studies and reviews have concluded that the standard methods of assessing accuracy during a hand strength test are not accurate.  For a list of those studies, click on the text in this sentence.  Why accept less-than-accurate methods for your practice or the claimants you send for functional assessment?  This method uses the common mechanical gauges, but incorporates an element of significant distraction---allowing us to protect the cooperative claimant while identifying non-compliance with an unprecedented level of accuracy.

The Hand Strength Assessment's companion test for validity of effort is the X-RTS Lever Arm.  This device eliminates the guesswork of the "visual estimation of effort" that is so commonly used in FCE protocols.  In contrast to other testing methods, the Lever Arm involves repeated measures.  Like the Hand Strength Assessment, the Lever Arm utilizes the concept of distraction-based testing.  The visual appearance of the workloads on this device are not accurately estimated by looking at the workloads. Consistency between repeated measures indicates a good effort, while a lack of consistency indicates non-cooperation.  By combing what is known about a claimant's medical condition with what is objectively known about the claimant's behavior, the final step in case management---evidence-based case management decisions---can move litigated cases to an efficient and fair resolution.

Our testing products are supported by a substantial body of published research.  This research includes studies involving our products as well as "traditional" methodology which we believe has not well-served the field of functional assessment, the people who have been tested with such methods.  Abstracts from these studies are found on this site on the Research Page.  For further information, use the Contact Us feature found on each page.  Thank you for visiting our site.

Contact us by clicking on this sentence.