Understanding the Barriers of Implementing a Self-Awareness Assessment in Occupational Therapy Practice within a Brain Injury Population: An Exploratory Study.
Anika Cheng, Rebecca Tsow, Julia Schmidt
PMID 37265857WHAT IT FOUND
A one-hour training session significantly improved occupational therapists' knowledge and confidence in using self-awareness assessments, with gains lasting three months.
However, actual use of these formal tools remained rare, with only two of fourteen therapists reporting increased use.
Key findings
01Knowledge and confidence in using self-awareness assessments increased significantly after training and remained higher than baseline at three-month follow-up.
02Despite improved knowledge, formal use of self-awareness assessments remained low, with only two of fourteen participants using them with up to 50% of clients at follow-up.
03Unfamiliarity was the primary barrier reported before training, but at follow-up, lack of confidence and a preference for informal assessment methods were the most common reasons for not using formal tools.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample size was very small (n=14), limiting statistical power and generalizability. Convenience sampling was used, which may introduce selection bias. There was no control group, so it is unclear if changes were due to the education session or other factors (e.g., Hawthorne effect). Response bias is possible, as participants knew the researchers' goal to increase assessment use. Participants were from two specific rehabilitation centres, which may not represent broader practice settings. The study relied on self-reported use of assessments, which may not reflect actual clinical behaviour.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that improving knowledge and confidence will automatically lead to increased use of formal self-awareness assessments in clinical practice. This study showed that despite significant gains in knowledge and confidence, actual use of formal tools remained rare, with only two of fourteen therapists reporting increased use at three months.