Practice Analysis of ABC Certified Mastectomy Fitters

The ABC Certified Mastectomy Fitter (CFm) credential focuses on breast prostheses and post-mastectomy items and services. This includes patient assessment, formulation of a treatment plan, implementation of the treatment plan, follow-up and practice management.

The major purpose of the practice analysis was to identify the tasks and knowledge that are important for competent performance of the mastectomy fitter job. The development of a content-valid credentialing program is based on tasks and knowledge identified through the practice analysis process.

This report describes the practice analysis, including the:

• rationale for conducting the practice analysis;
• methods used to define practice-related tasks and knowledge; and,
• creation of the final content outline.

Practice Analysis Study and Adherence to Professional Standards

Practice analysis refers to procedures designed to obtain descriptive information about the tasks performed on a job and/or the knowledge, skills, or abilities necessary to adequately perform those tasks. The specific type of information collected during a practice analysis is determined by the purpose for which the information will be used.

For purposes of developing credentialing programs, a practice analysis should identify important tasks, knowledge, skills, and/or abilities deemed to be important by professionals in the field of mastectomy fitters.

The use of a practice analysis (also known as job analysis, role and function study, or role delineation study) to define the content domain(s) is a critical component in establishing the content validity of the program. Content validity refers to the extent to which the content covered by the program is representative of the tasks and knowledge of a practice (tasks, knowledge, skills, or abilities).

A well-designed practice analysis should include a representative group of subject-matter experts who reflect the diversity within the profession. Diversity refers to regional or job context factors and to subject-matter expert factors such as experience, gender, and race/ethnicity. Demonstration of content validity is accomplished through the judgments of subject-matter experts. The process is enhanced by the inclusion of subject-matter experts who represent the diversity of the relevant areas of expertise.

The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (2014) (The Standards) is a comprehensive technical guide that provides criteria for the evaluation of tests,  testing practices, and the effects of test use. It was developed jointly by the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Educational Research Association (AERA), and the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME). The guidelines presented in The Standards, by professional consensus, have come to define the necessary components of quality testing. Consequently, a testing program that adheres to The Standards is more likely to be judged as valid and defensible than one that does not.

As stated in Standard 11.13,

"The content domain to be covered by a credentialing test should be defined clearly and justified in terms of the importance of the content for credential-worthy performance in an occupation or profession. A rationale and evidence should be provided to support the claim that the knowledge or skills being assessed are required for credential-worthy performance in that occupation and are consistent with the purpose for which the credentialing program was instituted Typically, some form of job or practice analysis provides the primary basis for defining the content domain " (pp 181-182)

The practice analysis for the ABC Certified Mastectomy Fitter (CFm) credential was designed to follow the guidelines presented in The Standards and to adhere to accepted professional practice.