Hand Therapy Certification and the CHT Examination

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1 Hand Therapy Certification and the CHT Examination Mission The mission of the Hand Therapy Certification Commission, Inc. is to support a high level of competence in hand therapy practice and to advance the specialty through a formal credentialing process. Vision The Hand Therapy Certification Commission envisions a time when every qualified therapist who treats hand patients will become a Certified Hand Therapist. Hand therapy is the art and science of rehabilitation of the upper limb, which includes the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder girdle. It is a merging occupational therapy and physical therapy theory and practice that combines comprehensive knowledge of the structure of the upper limb with function and activity. Using specialized skills in assessment, planning and treatment, hand therapists provide therapeutic interventions to prevent dysfunction, restore function and/or reverse the progression of pathology of the upper limb in order to enhance an individual s ability to execute tasks and to participate fully in life situations. There are 6,225 CHTs worldwide: United States 5,862 Canada Australia/New Zealand Other countries, territories and military bases - 36 PA have been done consistently for 20 years HTCC eligibility policies come out of PA data Occupational Therapists 85% Physical Therapists 14% Both PT and OT 1% A Practice Analysis was performed in 2014 Based on the 2014 Practice Analysis the test specifications and examination blueprint is being revised beginning with the May2016 Examination Items in Domain 4 Promote Professional Practice are being redistributed into the other domains

2 Practice Domains & number of questions on test:* 1. Eval UE & Relevant Patient Characteristics Determine Prognosis and Plan of Care Implement Therapeutic Interventions Fundamental Knowledge & Basic Science 44 Beginning in 2017 Starting with the May 2017 examination, candidates for the Hand Therapy Certification Examination will be required to be licensed as an occupational therapist or a physical therapist for three (3) years instead of five (5). The requirement of 4000 hours in direct hand therapy practice experience remains unchanged. *Complete test specifications and blueprint are available on the HTCC website. Current practice credential in Occupational or Physical Therapy 3 years as an OT or PT, dated on or before May 1, 2014 for the May 2017 exam and on or before November 1, 2014 for the November 2017 exam. 4,000 hours direct practice experience since becoming a licensed PT or OT Hand clinical practice experience is the direct provision of patient care through assessment and implementation of an individualized treatment plan, including but not limited to: orthotics/splinting, modalities and/or exercise to prevent dysfunction, maximize functional recovery or influence the effect of pathology in the upper extremity. Hand therapy clinical practice does not include time spent in administration, research, reaching, or consultation. Item writers selected by application HTCC and testing consultant provide two-day training program Each item writer writes 40 questions over two years Questions are reviewed by other item writers and mentor Questions are revised and validated Checks done for accuracy, current reference, relevance to practice Once validated, question is reviewed by exam committee, then either revised again or added to the question bank for inclusion on exam

3 The exam is given via computer. It is offered over a six-day window on the following dates: May 1 6, 2017 November 6 11, 2017 Applied Measurement Professionals (AMP) administers the test via computer at test centers worldwide Create an account in the Certification Center Complete the application process If eligible you will receive an with eligibility confirmation and instructions on how to schedule the exam Schedule the exam date with AMP Know the directions to the Test Center before the day of testing Review the requirements for admission to the examination If you applied to take the exam in you should use the Certification Center login and password you created then. Logging into your current account rather than creating a new account, will assure that the documentation previously approved by HTCC will be displayed. Complete the application process The only new documentation you will need is your current license to practice. Have the proper papers for admission and two forms of ID Name on the eligibility must match your ID Centers open at 9 am; testing times are 9 and 1:30 Leave personal belongings locked in your car. You are only allowed to bring a wallet into the test center Not allowed to take anything into the testing room Will be given scratch paper & pencil to take into the room You MUST bring one of the following: driver's license with photograph state identification card with photograph passport military identification card with photograph The second form of identification must display your name and signature for signature verification (e.g., credit card with signature, social security card with signature, employment/student ID card with signature). The name on the identification must match the name under which you are registered with AMP.

4 Trained & Certified Test Center Administrators AMP test center administrators are certified professionals who complete a recertification exam every year. Test center surveillance includes videotaping and audio monitoring of all testing sessions AMP utilizes extensive security procedures during candidate check-in to verify candidate identity and reduce the risk of fraud. Have a name that exactly matches that used by the candidate when registering for his/her examination, including designations such as Jr. and III. Questions with ambiguous statistics are flagged by testing company following test administration HTCC compiles comments from candidates Both comments and questions are reviewed by a sub-committee of the exam committee in conference call Consensus is reached on multiple keying of flagged items or questions with valid comments Items with poor statistics or valid negative comments are either eliminated from item bank or revised by bank maintenance committee After this process is complete, a final passing score is determined A passing score task force works with the testing company following standard procedures to review each question on an anchor exam A draft passing score is determined. After the test is administered, a final passing score is established, after the items are reviewed for ambiguity. After the anchor year, each exam form is equated to that passing score, which takes into consideration that test difficulty fluctuates from form to form. A new passing score is established every 3-4 years or after a practice analysis study. Every examination form employs a unique combination of items, so that no two forms are identical. Through a process known as equating, the passing score for each form is statistically adjusted to compensate for these minor fluctuations. Equating ensures that candidates of comparable proficiency will be equally likely to pass an examination regardless of the particular test form used. Once the raw passing score is set for each exam form using equating, the score is translated into a scaled score and sent to the candidates.

5 A scaled score is neither the number of questions you answered correctly nor the percentage of questions you answered correctly The scaled score is statistically determined using standardized methodology HTCC does not determine the scale and does not know any candidate s raw score The scaled score for the CHT exam is 0 99, and the passing score is 75 Test results will be sent within 6 weeks after the test Scaled scores of 75 or above will be reported as PASS (no numeric score will be reported to passing candidates) Failing examinees will receive scaled scores ranging from 0-74 If you do not pass, you will receive a score report that includes your scaled score and the percentage of questions that you answered correctly in each of the five subject areas. Passing Rate: May % Nov % The passing rate has fluctuated between 52% to 63% since % OTs, 14% PTs, 91% educated in the United States The majority were staff or senior therapists who work full time Work settings: hospitals (41%) or corporate owned practices (11%), therapist-owned practices (25%), physician-owned practices (18%); active military (1%) 63% were taking the test for the first time The CHT exam performs with a.92 score reliability in which content and difficulty remain consistent within the various domains

6 Established in honor of Mary Kasch Sponsored by the Tri-Alliance of HTCC, ASHT and AHTF Application period is Jan 1 st to March 1 st Next application will be open Jan 1 st 2017 for: Nov 2017 exam May 2018 exam $1500 Value and Includes: One Examination fee $500 One tuition to an ASHT meeting other than the annual meeting up to $500 The remaining amount may be used for reimbursement of study materials, course tuition or travel related exam and education expenses.