The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) as Routine Practice in Community-Based Rehabilitation: A Retrospective Chart Review.
Glade Vyslysel, Daniel Barker, Isobel J Hubbard
PMID 34589685WHAT IT FOUND
Most community rehab patients improved their self-rated performance and satisfaction by at least 2 points, regardless of age or diagnosis.
However, those who did not finish their program scored 1.5 to 2 points lower. The COPM works as a routine outcome measure.
Key findings
0160.1% of patients reported a clinically important improvement in performance, and 66.3% in satisfaction, with average gains of 2.2 and 2.8 points respectively.
02Patients who did not complete their rehabilitation program had 1.5 points lower performance scores and 2 points lower satisfaction scores than those who completed it.
03The COPM was successfully administered to the majority of patients on admission and discharge, demonstrating its feasibility for routine interdisciplinary practice.
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
There was no control group, so it is impossible to determine if the improvements were due to the rehabilitation intervention, natural history, or regression to the mean. The study relied on retrospective data, which may have missing or inconsistent records. Reassessing clinicians were not blinded to baseline scores, which could introduce bias in how outcomes were recorded or interpreted. The definition of 'completion' was based on remaining in the program for a prescribed period, not necessarily achieving specific clinical goals, and many patients had complex, overlapping conditions.
Declared interests
No funding sources or conflicts of interest were explicitly stated in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the observed improvements as proof of the service's efficacy. Without a control group, we cannot know if patients would have improved similarly without the intervention. The study primarily demonstrates that the COPM can be used routinely and that patients who complete programs report better outcomes than those who drop out.