OTalk 19th February 2019 (8-9 pm GMT)
This week’s #OTalk is on the topic of choosing assessments and will be hosted by Dr Alison Laver-Fawcett (@alisonlaverfaw) from York St John University and Professor Diane Cox (@dianecox61) in the UK.

Here’s what Alison and Diane had to say:

Assessment and outcome measurement are fundamental aspects of the Occupational Therapy process and learning about assessment and evaluation is a core component of occupational therapy education. Assessment requires occupational therapists to select and apply a range of informal and standardised data collection methods (interviews, observations, questionnaires and document review) and access a range of sources (the person, other health and social care staff involved in the person’s care, and informal care givers). Information collected through assessment needs to be accurate because it informs ‘the negotiation of outcomes, setting of goals, and selection of therapeutic interventions’ (Laver-Fawcett, 2012, p. 604). Assessment is usually conducted at several points during the occupational therapy process, this can include: an initial assessment to inform goal setting and provide a baseline; ongoing assessment to review the person’s response to intervention; evaluation of outcomes at the end of intervention; and post-discharge follow-up review (Creek, 2003).

So the choices we make about what assessments to use and when to use them are critically important.

Whether you are an experienced researcher, a clinician or a student please join us on 19th February for this #OTalk twitter chat and share your ideas and experience. It is never too early in your occupational therapy career to start considering why you choose the assessments and outcome measures you use.

Suggested talking points and discussion questions to focus our chat:

1. What are we looking for in an assessment?
2. When choosing an assessment what does it need to have?
3. Thinking about assessment tools or standard measures – what is the most important feature it has?
4. Why do you choose the measures you use?
5. If learning about assessment and measures what would you like to know?
6. What was the most useful tip you have for thinking about which assessment tool to use?
7. Do you have a particular resource, website or book that you use that you find helpful and would recommend to OT students and colleagues?

References:

Creek J (2003) Occupational therapy defined as a complex intervention. London: College of Occupational Therapists.

Laver-Fawcett, A J (2014) Routine standardised outcome measurement to evaluate the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions: essential or optional? Ergoterapeuten, 4, 28-37. [accessed 17.2.2019]

Click to access Download.aspx

Resources:

College of Occupational Therapists’ (COT; 2017) Position Statement: Occupational therapists’ use of standardized outcome measures. London, COT. Available from: file:///C:/Users/a.laverfawcett/Downloads/COT-Position-Statement-measuring-outcomes%20(1).pdf [accessed 17.2.2019]

Laver Fawcett AJ (2007) Principles of Assessment and Outcome Measurement for Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists: Theory, Skills and Application. Chichester. Wiley. Available from:
https://www.wiley.com/en-gb/Principles+of+Assessment+and+Outcome+Measurement+for+Occupational+Therapists+and+Physiotherapists%3A+Theory%2C+Skills+and+Application-p-9781861564801 [accessed 16.2.2019]

Royal College of Occupational Therapists (nd). Developing an assessment tool or outcome measure. Available from: https://www.rcot.co.uk/practice-resources/library-resources/assessments-and-outcome-measures [accessed 16.2.2019]