[Utilization of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) among children and their parents: a Swiss experience].
BACKGROUND
This descriptive and exploratory study examined the use of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) involving 33 children and their parents in French speaking Switzerland. The overall aim of the study was to determine the utility of the measure in order to objectivize the impact of the treatment.


METHODS
The COPM was administered twice (initial assessment and reassessment) in order to measure the change in occupational performance and satisfaction over time. The interviews were conducted by 18 occupational therapists, either separately or with both the parents and children together.


RESULTS
The analyses highlight the statistically significant changes that occured between the initial assessment and the reassessment, in both the occupational performance and satisfaction. It appears that occupational therapists plan to use the COPM more as a guide when interviewing the parents and the children, rather than as an evaluation tool. Only 17 % of the occupational therapists indicated that they intended to use the point rating scale, but the majority said that the COPM would be useful in establishing a better partnership between parents and professionals.


CONCLUSIONS
The contribution of this study lies not only in the results of the research confirming the relevance of the COPM in measuring the impact of practice, but also in the influence of its use on occupational therapy practice, with a greater focus on the needs of the clients and on their independance in daily life.
Kaiser
Marie-Laure
ML
mlkaiser@eesp.ch
Braun
Mark
M
Rhyner
Christine
C
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011594:Psychometrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland; D016896:Treatment Outcome