Occupational therapy outcomes for clients with traumatic brain injury and stroke using the Canadian Occupational...

The purpose of this study was to determine whether 155 ethnically diverse clients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke (cerebrovascular accident; CVA) who received occupational therapy services perceived that they reached self-identified goals related to tasks of daily life as measured by the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). This study found that a statistically and clinically significant change in self-perceived performance and satisfaction with tasks of daily life occurred at the end of a client-centered occupational therapy program (p < .001). There were no significant differences in performance and satisfaction between the TBI and CVA groups. However, the group with right CVA reported a higher level of satisfaction with performance in daily activities than the group with left CVA (p = .03). The COPM process can effectively assist clients with neurological impairments in identifying meaningful occupational performance goals. The occupational therapist also can use the COPM to design occupation-based and client-centered intervention programs and measure occupational therapy outcomes.