Screening Tools: They’re So Quick! What’s the Issue?

Abstract

Screening tools are needed in occupational therapy practice to determine which clients require formal evaluation. Because screening tools also tell us who does not require formal evaluation, they are key to improved clinical efficiency. Screening tools are brief, easy to administer, and often freely available. These qualities also lead to misuse of screening tools, including using them to measure progress over time or to serve as a confirmatory assessment on which to base treatment planning. We present additional common missteps of screening tool use, including a lack of consideration for a tool’s psychometric properties, and exemplars of these common misuses in adult and pediatric practice. Finally, we offer solutions to address these concerns.