Determining the Initial Content Validity of the Clinical Competency Assessment Tool (CAT) for Occupational Therapists Treating Patients with Neurodegenerative Disease

Abstract

The provision of occupational therapy (OT) interventions for people with neurodegenerative disorder (NDD) requires advanced clinical competency; therefore, a means to evaluate that competency is needed. The Clinical Competency Assessment Tool for Occupational Therapists Treating Patients with Neurodegenerative Disease (CAT) was recently developed as a self-report assessment that aims to identify gaps in clinical competence and measure outcomes of professional development programs specific to occupational therapists treating patients with NDD. The purpose of this study is to explore preliminary content validity of the CAT. Classical test theory was used to test for content validity. A panel of 10 expert occupational therapists, who met specific inclusion criteria, rated the 24 items on the CAT. The number of participants who rated each item as essential was used to quantify each item’s content validity using the content validity ratio (CVR). A CVR of .62 was sought for each item on the CAT, based on the size of the panel of expert occupational therapists. At least half of the expert clinicians rated 16 of the 24 items on the CAT as essential, resulting in a 0 or positive CVR. Six items met the researchers’ criteria of a .62 CVR. Three items on the CAT were rated as essential by all members of the expert panel. This study demonstrates some degree of content validity that supports the CAT in its initial form and provides direction for further development as a tool to inform and measure outcomes of OT educational programs focused on increasing the clinical competence of occupational therapists who treat patients with NDD.