A scoping review of coaching in occupational therapy: Mapping methods, populations and outcomes.
Fiona Graham, Dorothy Kessler, Melissa Nott and 3 others
PMID 39315515WHAT IT FOUND
Coaching improves occupational performance and goal attainment, especially for parents of children with developmental conditions.
However, most studies lack fidelity reporting and theoretical clarity, so clinicians cannot separate the coaching component from other concurrent interventions.
Key findings
01Evidence supports coaching as effective for improving occupational performance, goal attainment, and parental self-efficacy.
02Most research focuses on parents of children with autism, cerebral palsy, or developmental coordination disorder rather than adults.
03Under-reporting of intervention fidelity is a common weakness, making it difficult to determine if outcomes were caused by coaching alone.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Only English-language studies and those delivered by occupational therapists were included, potentially missing relevant cross-cultural or interprofessional evidence. Studies without a clear description of coaching methods were excluded, which may bias the results toward well-defined interventions. Few studies reported on the fidelity of the coaching intervention, making it impossible to know if the therapists actually adhered to the coaching model. The review did not include grey literature or non-peer-reviewed sources. Most evidence relates to pediatric populations and their parents, limiting generalizability to adult populations.
Declared interests
Several authors (FG, DK, CB, MN) regularly publish research on coaching that is included in this review. Some authors (FG, DK, CB) also provide commercial and non-for-profit training in Occupational Performance Coaching.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume coaching alone caused the improvements in occupational performance. In many included studies, coaching was delivered alongside other interventions, and fidelity to the coaching model was not reported or monitored.