Legal and Scientific Considerations of the Exercise Stress Test

ORCID

J. Mark Van Ness: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5902-8735

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Department

Health, Exercise, and Sport Sciences Department

ISSN

1057-3321

Volume

14

Issue

2

DOI

10.1300/J092v14n02_06

First Page

61

Last Page

75

Publication Date

1-1-2007

Abstract

This article examines the legal and scientific bases on which an exercise stress test can provide medically acceptable evidence of disability for the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) patient. To qualify for disability benefits, a claimant must establish the existence of a serious medically determinable impairment (MDI) that causes the inability to work. The single stress test has been used to objectively establish whether a claimant can engage in “substantial gainful employment” and is an important determinant of the award or denial of benefits. A review of case law indicates problems associated with a single test protocol that may be remedied by a “test-retest” protocol. The results of a preliminary study employing this approach indicate that the test-retest protocol addresses problems inherent in a single test and therefore provides an assessment of CFS related disability consistent with both medical and legal considerations.

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