A Narrative Review of Dexterity Assessments

NARRATIVE REVIEW: This article is a narrative review of the psychometric properties (reliability and validity) and other characteristics (cost, time to administer, and year of publication) of commercially available manual and finger dexterity assessments used for adults in the United States. Complete research articles related to dexterity assessments were gathered from online database searches and individually critiqued for scientific rigor based on reliability and validity. Articles relating to 14 dexterity assessments were reviewed. All but three tools had established reliability, seven tools had all five forms of validity established, and two had only face and content validity. The results of this review provide information to those interested in fine motor skill acquisition, impairment, or functional recovery after injury. Therapists may use this information to choose the best assessment instrument to evaluate a patient's recovery of function over time. This review adds to the evidence-based, best-practice literature related to assessment and outcome measurements of patients with limited dexterity function participating in rehabilitation.