Utility of the Model of Human Occupation Screening Tool for Detecting Client Change

Occupational therapists are increasingly being asked to engage in occupation-focused practice that goes beyond a focus on impairment. The Model of Human Occupation Screening Tool (MOHOST) is an occupation-focused assessment that determines the extent to which client factors and environmental factors facilitate or restrict an individual's participation in daily life. The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of the MOHOST as a valid outcomes assessment. A retrospective design was used to gather admission and discharge MOHOST ratings from an inpatient rehabilitation unit from over a 20-month period. A Many Faceted Rasch Model was used to analyze MOHOST admission and discharge data. The five therapists were fairly consistent in their scoring of the MOHOST, and four of five therapists used the MOHOST in a valid manner. There was significant increase in MOHOST measures from admission to discharge. The study findings indicate that, with minimal training, occupational therapists can use the MOHOST in a consistent and interchangeable manner to measure changes in occupational participation.