Development and Validation of Tools for Evaluation of Orthosis Fabrication Andonia Stefanovich, Camille Williams, Pat McKee, Eric Hagemann, Heather Carnahan KEY WORDS  checklist  educational measurement  equipment design  metacarpophalangeal joint  orthotic devices  professional competence Andonia Stefanovich, MScOT, is Graduate, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, and Occupational Therapist, N Zaraska and Associates, Toronto, ON. Camille Williams, MHSc, is PhD candidate, Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Science, and Fellow, Wilson Centre for Research in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON. Pat McKee, MSc, OT Reg.(Ont.), OT(C), is Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON. Eric Hagemann, MSc, is Graduate, Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON. Heather Carnahan, PhD, is Professor, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy; Scientist, Wilson Centre for Research in Education, University of Toronto; and Director, Centre for Ambulatory Care Education, Women’s College Hospital, 160-500 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1V7, Canada; heather.carnahan@gmail.com This study is the first phase of research aimed at developing new educational approaches to enhance occupational therapy students’ orthosis fabrication skills. Before the effectiveness of training can be determined, a method for evaluating performance must be established. Using the Delphi method, we developed a global rating scale and checklist for evaluating technical competence when fabricating meta- carpophalangeal (MCP) joint–stabilizing orthoses. To determine the reliability and validity of these tools, three evaluators used them to assess and score orthotic fabrication performance by experienced and student occupational therapists. The results suggest that these measurement tools are valid and reliable indicators of the technical skills involved in fabricating an MCP joint–stabilizing orthosis. Future studies should focus on building on these tools to evaluate communication skills, technical skills for making other types of orthoses, and effectiveness of training programs. Stefanovich, A., Williams, C., McKee, P., Hagemann, E., & Carnahan, H. (2012). Development and validation of tools for evaluation of orthosis fabrication. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 66, 739–746. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.5014/ajot.2012.005553 U pper-limb orthoses (splints) made from low-temperature thermoplastics are commonly fabricated by occupational therapists; as such, orthotic education is a standard part of the curriculum in most occupational therapy programs (Clark, 2002). Occupational therapy students are taught this skill through the traditional teaching methods of didactic lecture-based learning, readings, ob- servation, and hands-on practice with fellow students who often have limbs without any pathological deformities. This situation is problematic because oc- cupational therapy students are not given the opportunity to learn and practice the skills required to construct orthoses for people with pathological deformities and because no standard, valid, and reliable measurement tool is available to evaluate students’ technical competence at creating such orthoses. As a result, the performance of new occupational therapists may be subject to a learning curve; the consequences of this learning curve for clients are unclear. One solution to moving students further along on the learning curve before they deal with real clients is simulation. Lammers (2007, p. 505) defined simulation as “the artificial representation of a situation, environment, or event that provides an experience for the purposes of learning, evaluation, or research.” Simulation training allows students to practice and operationalize new knowledge and trans- form concepts into practical skills (Lammers, 2007). Simulation training has been used successfully for decades to train professionals in various fields, including dentistry, nursing, aviation, and medicine, and it is becoming an educational standard for teaching technical skills to trainees in these fields. Students learn and practice technical skills on models and simulators to better prepare to perform such skills in the clinical environment. Binstadt et al. (2007) found that several studies have demonstrated improvements in the performance of The American Journal of Occupational Therapy 739 Downloaded From: http://ajot.aota.org/ on 10/23/2018 Terms of Use: http://AOTA.org/terms