How we source our data
Methodology and sourcing
TheOTBench is only as good as the sources behind it. This page explains where every value comes from, how it is checked, and what we do when the evidence is uncertain.
Our source hierarchy
We prefer sources in this order, and we name the specific source on every table rather than asking you to take our word for it.
- 1
Primary research and standards
The original published study or official standard: the Mathiowetz grip and dexterity norms, the AAOS range-of-motion reference, the 2010 ADA Standards, the CMS RAI Manual and Section GG decision tree. When a number exists in a primary source, that is what we cite.
- 2
Authoritative databases and bodies
Reputable secondary references such as the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab Rehabilitation Measures Database, AOTA, CDC, and peer-reviewed meta-analyses. We use these to corroborate primary values and to point you toward the full instrument.
- 3
Established clinical references
Widely used clinical and educational references for material where primary validation is limited. Where we rely on these, we say so plainly and flag the limitation rather than dressing it up as settled science.
How verification works
Every data table on the site carries a status you can see.
Every value has been checked against the cited primary source. Only verified tables appear in the site's search sitemap.
Drafted from sources and awaiting a line-by-line check against the original publication. Usable as a pointer, but confirm against the source before clinical use. These are held out of the search sitemap until verified.
Current status: 2 of 28 data tables are fully source-verified. The rest are drafted and in the verification queue. We would rather show you an honest "verify this" badge than a false claim of certainty.
What we commit to
No invented numbers
We never fabricate a value to look precise. If a figure is not in a real source, it does not go on the site. Where sources disagree, we show the range and name the studies rather than picking one and hiding the rest.
Contested topics are flagged, not smoothed over
Some areas of practice are widely used but not robustly validated. We say so directly on those pages, cite the limitation, and frame the content as education and screening rather than diagnosis.
Licensing and copyright respected
Copyrighted instruments are described and interpreted, never reproduced. Freely usable tools (public-domain protocols, CMS material, permissively licensed indices) are hosted in full with their citation and license terms shown.
Clinical review by a practicing OT
Draft content is reviewed by a practicing occupational therapist before it is treated as verified. Clinical judgment from someone who uses these references daily catches what a data pipeline cannot.
Not a substitute for clinical judgment
Everything here is an educational reference for licensed clinicians. It supports your judgment, facility policy, and payer requirements; it does not replace them, and it never collects or stores patient data.
Found something wrong?
Accuracy is the whole point. If a value looks off or a source is outdated, that feedback is genuinely valuable and takes priority. The best references improve when the people who use them push back.
Browse the references