Validity of certification measures for occupational therapists

Area of Science:

• Occupational Therapy
• Psychometrics
• Educational Measurement

Background:

• Validation studies are crucial for assessing the quality of measurement instruments.
• Factors like reliability, sample homogeneity, and criterion contamination can impact study outcomes.
• Occupational therapy practice relies on valid assessment tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the validity evidence for the Field Work Performance Report and the Certification Examination for Occupational Therapists.
• To describe different types of validity: content, predictive, concurrent, and construct.
• To identify factors affecting validation study results.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of validation studies.
• Analysis of existing evidence for content, predictive, concurrent, and construct validities.
• Evaluation of factors influencing validation outcomes.

Main Results:

• The Field Work Performance Report demonstrates adequate content and concurrent validity.
• Evidence for long-range predictive validity of the Field Work Performance Report is currently lacking.
• The Certification Examination for Occupational Therapists has established content validity.

Conclusions:

• Current instruments are valuable and better than no assessment at all.
• Further research is needed to strengthen predictive validity evidence.
• The findings support the continued, albeit cautious, use of these occupational therapy assessment tools.