Course Description
The theory of measurement; and the critical review, selection, interpretation and integration of measures into practice.
Intended Learners
Learners will be occupational therapists, physical therapists or practitioners in other health disciplines who want to acquire the knowledge and skills to understand and apply measurement concepts to enhance clinical decision-making.
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course learners shall be able to:
- Critically apply concepts of reliability, validity, and other measurement properties to clinical contexts in rehabilitation.
- Evaluate the clinical utility of measures by synthesizing relevant measurement concepts related to a clinical situation.
- Justify the selection of measures for assessment, planning and evaluation in a clinical rehabilitation situation.
- Interpret measurement results for a variety of clinical situations.
- Disseminate knowledge about the optimal use of measures for assessment, planning and evaluation to enhance rehabilitation practice.
Course Overview
Assessing clients before deciding on a plan of action, using measures to inform treatment planning and measuring the extent to which the desired outcomes are achieved are all essential to best practice and professional accountability. Measures used in assessment guide decisions for a particular client, measures associated with prediction guide planning, and those that enable program outcomes to be evaluated contribute valuable evidence about program effectiveness that inform future decisions. This course introduces essential measurement concepts and explores how they can be applied to enhance decision-making in practice.
Assignments
There are two assignments: (a) a critical review of a measurement instrument the learner uses in practice, and (b) a presentation that demonstrates the application of measurement concepts to the learner’s workplace.
Course Readings
The course readings are selected from the textbook below as well as journal articles and resources that are available through the course website once the course opens. The textbook can be purchased through online distributors/booksellers such as Chapters-Indigo.
Required Textbook
De Vet, H. C. W., Terwee, C. B., Mokkink, L. B., & Knol, D. L. (2011). Measurement in medicine: A practical guide. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.