Evaluation: Obtaining and Interpreting Data, 3rd Edition

Evaluation always seems like the thorniest - and therefore most interesting - part of the clinical process. How does one go about developing a clear understanding of a client s current situation? What questions should be asked? How and when is the best time to ask those questions? Which tools will be best to construct an accurate portrait of his or her situation, and what information should we use to select the best tools? How do we know when the picture we have created of a client s situation is accurate, and how will we know when we re headed down the wrong path. --From the Foreword by Wendy J. Coster, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA Evaluation, which promotes a greater understanding of the people whom occupational therapy serves, is the foundation of occupational therapy practice and provides evidence to guide best practices. This third edition of the classic text answers the above questions and focuses on the role of the occupational therapist as an evaluator with assessment support provided by the occupational therapy assistant. Chapters discuss the various aspects of a comprehensive evaluation, including screening, reassessment, and reevaluation, and reaffirm the importance of understanding people as occupational beings. The expansion of this revision in breadth and depth reflects contemporary evaluation approaches. Most importantly, the authors discuss the influence that evaluation practices have on practice and remind readers to think about not only what the current practice environment wants an evaluation to be but also what the profession believes a comprehensive evaluation should be. Chapter Highlights · Evaluation-Where Do We Begin? · Philosophical and Theoretical Influences on Evaluation · Assessment Identification and Selection · Practical Aspects of the Evaluation Process · Evaluation in the Intervention Planning Process · Administration of Evaluation and Assessments · Contextual Evaluation to Support Participation · Nonstandardized Testing · Reliability and Validity: The Psychometrics of Standardized Assessments · Scoring and Interpretation of Results · Interpretation and Documentation · Reassessment and Reevaluation · Evaluating Special Populations · Use of Evaluation Data to Support Evidence-Based Practice · Use of Evaluation Data in Outcomes-Oriented Approach