title: National survey of Canadian occupational therapists' assessment and treatment of cognitive impairment post-stroke.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined variations in management of cognitive impairment post-stroke among occupational therapists and factors associated with variations in practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Canada-wide cross-sectional telephone survey. Clinicians' practices were examined using standard patient cases (vignettes).
  
  
  METHODS
  Acute care, inpatient rehabilitation and community-based sites providing stroke rehabilitation in all Canadian provinces.
  
  
  METHODS
  Occupational therapists (n=663) working in stroke rehabilitation as identified through provincial licensing bodies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Type and frequency of cognition-related problem identification, assessment and intervention use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Respectively, 69%, 83% and 31% of occupational therapists responding to the acute care, inpatient rehabilitation and community-based vignettes recognised cognition as a potential problem. Standardised assessment use was prevalent: 70% working in acute care, 77% in inpatient rehabilitation and 58% in community-based settings indicated using standardised assessments: 81%, 83% and 50%, respectively, indicated using general cognitive interventions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Mini-Mental State Examination was often used incorrectly to monitor patient change. Executive function, a critical component of post-stroke assessment, was rarely addressed. Interventions were most often general (e.g. incorporated in activities of daily living) rather than specific (e.g. cueing, memory aids, computer-based retraining).
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, 3630 PromenadesSir-William-Osler, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. nicol.korner-bitensky@mcgill.ca
authors.forename: Nicol
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Korner-Bitensky
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barrett-Bernstein
authors.forename: Gabrielle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bibas
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Poulin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019985:Benchmarking; D002170:Canada; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors