Client-chosen goals in occupational therapy: strategy and instrument pilot.

ABSTRACT Client-centered practice and outcomes research are missions of occupational therapy. Although strategies for client goal-setting have advanced the field, the process has limitations. This study tested a self-report strategy using brief, easy to score measures. The Goals for Occupational Therapy List was completed at mostly independent intake and paired with a follow-up measure of Goal Satisfaction Rating by 40 clients in an outpatient rehabilitation center. The strategy of pairing self-report measures of goal-setting and attainment was useful for clinicians and yielded important research findings. Application to occupational therapy and future research are suggested.

The Occupational Therapy Practice Checklist for adult physical rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVE: Although the practice of occupational therapy is described in textbooks, research, and professional standards, a tool for outcomes research is needed. METHOD: The Occupational Therapy Practice Checklist (OTPC), based on the Model of Occupational Performance (Pedretti, 1996), includes domains of adjunctive, enabling, purposeful, and occupational performance. Practices are also identified by phase of therapy (early, middle, late). The OTPC was piloted with 40 adults in an outpatient physical rehabilitation center. RESULTS: The Kuder Richardson 20 coefficient of internal consistency was .91. Practices on the OTPC discriminated between clients with and without neurological disorders. CONCLUSION: The OTPC has potential for yielding knowledge about occupational therapy practice. Results of the pilot show that occupational therapy practice was not linear, as theorized, but rather a complex integration of techniques.