title: Identification and assessment of functional performance in mild cognitive impairment: a survey of occupational therapy practices.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite the amount of research evidence pointing to functional changes experienced by individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), we still do not understand how occupational therapists are currently addressing these concerns. Thus, we designed a national study to investigate Canadian occupational therapists practices with this clientele.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a Canada-wide online survey to investigate occupational therapists' practices with clients with potential MCI. Clinicians were prompted by a case vignette that described two clients: one vignette included cues associated with amnestic MCI (aMCI), the other non-amnestic MCI (naMCI). Specifically, clinicians were asked to identify potential concerns and to indicate the screening and assessment tools they would use in clinical practice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred and eighty-five participants met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. The average clinician age was 38.6 (SD = 10.3), 92% were female and 71.2% worked full-time. Almost all clinicians identified a concern in both vignettes, with cognitive concerns being identified more frequently than functional concerns [i.e. Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) concerns]. In terms of assessment practices, 18 standardised IADL assessments and 10 standardised cognitive assessments have been reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Encouragingly, almost all clinicians identified a concern. However, some are still missing the IADL cues. Moreover, the lack of consensus in terms of which assessment practices to employ indicates that clinicians might benefit from guidelines in this area of practice.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Belchior
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Nicol
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Korner-Bitensky
authors.affiliation: MAB-Mackay Rehabilitaiton Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Robert
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D001577:Benzophenones; D002170:Canada; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D001577:Benzophenones; C036630:G 1026
keywords: ageing; assessment; cognition; instrumental activities of daily living; mild cognitive impairment; occupational therapy