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Research Article
Issue Date: July 1994
Published Online: July 01, 1994
Updated: April 30, 2020
Person–Environment Assessments in Occupational Therapy
Lori Letts; Mary Law; Patty Rigby; Barbara Cooper; Debra Stewart; Susan Strong
Author Affiliations
  • Lori Letts, MA, OT(C), is Researcher, Community Occupational Therapists and Associates, 3101 Bathurst Street, Suite 200, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M6A 2A6
  • Mary Law, PhD, OT(C), is Associate Professor, School of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, and Research Associate, Occupational Therapy, Chedoke-McMaster Hospitals, Hamilton, Canada
  • Patty Rigby, MHSc, OT(C), is a Research Therapist, Hugh MacMillan Rehabilitation Centre, Toronto, Canada
  • Barbara Cooper, MHSc, OT(C), is Associate Professor, Associate Dean of Health Sciences, and Director of the School of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
  • Debra Stewart, OT(C), is an Occupational Therapist, Erinoak Serving Young People With Disabilities, and an Occupational Therapy Consultant, Mississauga, Canada
  • Susan Strong, OT(C), is an Occupational Therapist, Program Evaluation/Quality Assurance, Hamilton Psychiatric Hospital, Hamilton, Canada
Article Information
Assessment Development and Testing / Special Issue on CAN/AM 1994 – The Joint Annual Conference of AOTA and CAOT
Research Article   |   July 01, 1994
Person–Environment Assessments in Occupational Therapy
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, July 1994, Vol. 48, 608-618. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.48.7.608
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, July 1994, Vol. 48, 608-618. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.48.7.608
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Abstract

Occupational therapists have begun to recognize the importance of considering how the environment influences occupational performance. Models of person–environment fit provide a theoretical context within which occupational therapists can consider the influence of the environment on function. The challenge for occupational therapists is to select assessments that incorporate concepts of person–environment fit. However, limited awareness of appropriate environmental assessments that have undergone psychometric testing has limited their introduction into clinical practice. This paper reviews 41 environmental assessments and considers each in terms of its purpose, environmental attribute, environmental application, clinical utility, instrument development, and psychometric testing. A case example illustrates the applicability to the practice of occupational therapy.