Clinical Utility of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure in Older Adult Rehabilitation and Nursing Homes: Perceptions among Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists in Spain.
Elisabet Capdevila, María Rodríguez-Bailón, Maria Kapanadze and 1 others
PMID 33500685WHAT IT FOUND
Spanish therapists reported older clients felt heard and more involved when COPM goals were set with them.
Many clients struggled naming priorities and rating performance versus satisfaction, and time or institutional constraints limited routine use.
Key findings
01Occupational therapists and physiotherapists reported that older clients felt heard and became more involved when goals were set with them.
02Clients often had difficulty naming and prioritizing problems, and understanding the separate ratings for performance and satisfaction.
03Resource constraints, especially low staffing, short rehabilitation stays, and poor infrastructure, limited routine use of the COPM.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Findings are therapists' perceptions of clients' experiences, not direct client reports. Participants were occupational therapists and physiotherapists already interested in the COPM, so results may not apply to less interested clinicians or other professions. All were first-time COPM users, so early difficulties may reflect learning rather than the tool itself. The study was qualitative and cannot show that the COPM improved function, participation, satisfaction, or efficiency. Time and staffing constraints, short stays, and hierarchical institutional structures affected use, so findings may not transfer to better-resourced settings. Only Catalan or Spanish healthcare centers in Spain were included.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the therapists' positive reports as evidence that the COPM improves older adults' function or rehabilitation outcomes. The study measured first-time users' perceptions in focus groups, did not collect clients' own reports, and had no comparison group or clinical outcome measures.