Comparative Analysis of Occupational Therapy Prevocational Assessments and Industrial Vocational Assessments: A Pilot Study

Abstract

The present investigation was undertaken for the purpose of looking at the correlation between industrial pre-employment assessments and the prevocational assessments used by clinical occupational therapists. This pilot study involved the surveying of a sample of different-sized industries in the London, Ontario area. A similar survey of practising occupational therapists was also done in London. The authors were interested in the prevalence of test usage, the average number of tests used by industry and therapists, and specifically, the types of tests used by both groups.

Conclusions centre around two ideas: (a) If occupational therapy prevocational assessment usage is concerned primarily with ascertaining patient skill level in a work approach for patient/therapist feedback purposes, then perhaps there should be no concern with correlating these activities with industry in the London area; (b) If communication between therapists and industry in the London area is to be enhanced for the purposes of providing possible client placement and more meaningful information for vocational rehabilitation personnel, a common ground for discussion and negotiation could be gained by using the same or similar tests. This may encourage a greater future success rate in placing prevocationally assessed clients in job situations in the London area. A larger nation-wide sample of industry and occupational therapy departments may further elucidate this issue in order to keep occupational therapists abreast of the changing needs of Canadian industry.