Content validation using an expert panel: assessment process for assistive technology adopted by farmers with...

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Safety
• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Disability Studies

Background:

• Farmers with disabilities require safe and effective assistive technology (AT).
• Existing AT assessment processes may lack comprehensive content validation.
• Expert input is crucial for refining specialized assessment tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate an experimental assessment process for the safety of assistive technology (AT) used by farmers with disabilities.
• To incorporate expert feedback into the refinement of AT assessment methodologies.
• To provide recommendations for using expert panels in research and tool validation.

Main Methods:

• An expert panel of six subject-matter specialists was convened.
• The panel conducted an evaluation session using the experimental AT assessment process on nine ATs.
• Two focus group sessions (pre- and post-evaluation) and discursive analysis were employed.

Main Results:

• The expert panel's feedback led to the incorporation of valuable insights into the final AT assessment process.
• Discursive analysis of focus group data provided a qualitative understanding of the assessment's strengths and weaknesses.
• The validation process confirmed the utility and identified areas for improvement in the experimental AT assessment.

Conclusions:

• Expert panels are effective for content validation of specialized assessment tools.
• The refined AT assessment process enhances the safety evaluation for farmers with disabilities.
• Methodological recommendations are provided for future research utilizing expert panels and validation studies.