All responses by L.N. Matheson, PhD
We have a formal training program that can be accomplished in-person or at a distance, requiring about 7 hours to complete. Certification requires completion of the training and passing a written test, followed by testing of 5 health-normal volunteers on a test-retest basis.
Certification is an important part of the ELC protocol because the test is standardized so that the evaluator does the testing in exactly the same way each time according to the guidelines for which the norms have been developed. If an evaluator does it his/her own way or forgets some of the steps, it is not an Epic Lift Capacity test but just a lift test of his/her own design.
Certification is crucial for evaluee safety. There has never been an injury in the ELC conducted by a certified professional. If an uncertified person applies the ELC methods and injury occurs, EpicRehab will not help to defend the evaluator with expert opinions in court.
Additionally, we intend for the norms to not be applicable for people (or used by them) who have not been certified because we can’t confirm that they have learned the proper evaluation method. It’s a complicated test with many safeguards that are learned by doing the training and the test-retest follow-up with 5 healthy normal volunteers. It takes training and practice to develop the standardized procedures so that every ELC-certified evaluator performs the test safely and reliably.
Finally, the published peer-reviewed scientific studies that confirm the safety, reliability, and validity of the ELC used only trained and certified people. They do not apply to people who have not been trained and certified. People who "do their own thing" are on their own and need to invest the time and energy to do the research to support their own tests, not freeload off of legitimate scientists.
If an EPIC Lift Capacity provider in your area is not certified, contact EpicRehab and be sure to inform your referrers that this is not acceptable.
Certification requires that you complete either the self-study certification or a one-day training course on use of the EPIC Lift Capacity, pass a written exam, and perform 5 test-retest exams on healthy volunteers using site-licensed equipment. The self-study certification kits are available with the purchase of EPIC Lift equipment from a licensed distributor, with the option to purchase additional kits individually as needed. Training workshops are also offered frequently in various locations throughout the United States and Canada.
To provide quality control by limiting the EPIC Lift Capacity to be used only with equipment that is standardized. If an EPIC Lift Capacity provider in your area is not site licensed, contact EpicRehab and be sure to inform your referrers that this is not an acceptable standard of practice.
For several reasons. It is difficult to standardize equipment over several sites, which would limit the inter-rater reliability that has been established for the EPIC Lift Capacity. It is risky for the evaluee, in that a fracture in a handle or an unstable shelf can cause injury. It is also risky for the evaluator. If an injury occurs using nonstandard equipment, the plaintiff’s attorney will make that an important point of criticism.
First, EpicRehab has a United States patent for the “evaluation of the work capacity of injured people” that covers the EPIC Lift Capacity. This patent is enforceable in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Europe, Australia and Japan. Second, if an equipment maker wants to use the EPIC Lift Capacity, it must reach an agreement with EpicRehab to do so. EpicRehab receives a license fee from the manufacturer. Without such a contract, use of the EPIC Lift Capacity is illegal.
The legal equipment manufacturers are Matheson Development and BTE Technologies. Through their equipment manufacturers, EPIC Lift Capacity purchasers are provided a site license that allows legal use of the EPIC Lift Capacity at their clinic, just like computer software is licensed. These agreements require that all EPIC Lift Capacity users become formally trained and certified.