Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment: Collecting Data Virtually

This study examined the feasibility and the reliability of a virtual assessment of the home environment using the widely used measure of the home environment, the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) Inventory. A convenience sample of 53 families were assessed with the virtual and in-person HOME. Children were ages 6 to 36 months and lived in 2 states in the United States. When examining HOME dimensions, the mean level of agreement was not statistically different from 85% except for the Involvement dimension. After having received both an interview in-person and virtually, most parents reported preferring the virtual (63.3%) over the in-person interview (36.7%). Results from this study show that the HOME Inventory can be administered virtually for many families and that the data collected is useful for research and applied purposes.