A clinician's guide to work-related assessments: 2 - design problems.

This paper is the second in a series aimed at providing clinicians with a guide to assist them in using work-related assessments appropriately. This paper discusses the four major design problems facing clinicians using work-related assessments. These problems are: (1) a confused definition of terms; (2) confused conceptual basis; (3) separation of the individual from the context and the environment; and (4) lack of assessment of psychosocial/cognitive aspects related to work. Suggestions are provided to assist clinicians in making decisions regarding work-related assessments. Recommendations for further research to ameliorate these problems are also made. Companion papers describe the purposes of work-related assessments, and administration and interpretation problems in detail.