Principles of Assessment and Outcome Measurement for Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists Theory, Skills and Application

This textbook on assessment and outcome measurement is written for both occupational
therapy and physiotherapy students and qualified therapists. It begins by defining what is
meant by assessment, outcome, evaluation and measurement and discussing the
complexity of therapy assessment and measurement, including the challenge of measuring
human behaviour and the impact of factors such as task demand and context, including the
environment. Methods of data collection (e.g. observation, interview, standardised testing)
and sources (e.g. self-report, proxy) for collecting information about clients are then
reviewed, and the main purposes of assessment (e.g. descriptive, evaluative, predictive,
discriminative) presented. The book then addresses the topics of standardisation, levels of
measurement, reliability, validity and clinical utility. There is a chapter describing and
applying models for categorizing levels of function to aid assessment and measurement. The
concept of clinical reasoning and reflective practice is then explored. Application of principles
is supported through detailed case studies and worksheets and the criteria for test critique
and guidelines for choosing a particular assessment approach are discussed.