Person-environment assessments in occupational therapy

Area of Science:

• Occupational therapy
• Environmental psychology
• Human factors engineering

Background:

• Occupational therapists increasingly recognize the environment's impact on occupational performance.
• Person-environment fit models offer a theoretical framework for understanding this influence.
• A gap exists in clinical practice regarding awareness and use of psychometrically tested environmental assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and analyze existing environmental assessments relevant to occupational therapy.
• To evaluate these assessments based on specific criteria including psychometric properties and clinical utility.
• To provide occupational therapists with a resource for selecting appropriate environmental assessment tools.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of 41 environmental assessments.
• Analysis of each assessment's purpose, environmental attributes, application, clinical utility, development, and psychometric testing.
• Inclusion of a case example to demonstrate practical application.

Main Results:

• The review identified and categorized 41 distinct environmental assessments.
• Each assessment was evaluated for its psychometric rigor and suitability for clinical use.
• The paper provides a critical overview of the strengths and limitations of available tools.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive understanding of available environmental assessments is crucial for occupational therapists.
• Selecting assessments with strong psychometric properties enhances the validity of environmental interventions.
• This review serves as a guide to bridge the gap between theoretical concepts of person-environment fit and practical clinical application.