Your ideas about participation and environment: a new self-report instrument

To examine the meaningfulness, usefulness and acceptability of a new self-report instrument: "your ideas about participation and environment" (YIPE).

Cognitive interviewing was employed with 10 adults with disabilities to explore YIPE questions and formatting. Thematic content procedures were used in data analysis. The instrument was revised; participants were re-interviewed and data were re-examined.

Participants considered the YIPE as a helpful tool to assist with developing person-centred goals and communicating their needs to health professionals, thus establishing its meaningfulness. They believed it could be useful at various points in the intervention process (e.g. preparation, monitoring, and evaluation). Participants also endorsed the YIPE's computer-based format, thus confirming its acceptability.

The findings support the meaningfulness, acceptability and usefulness of the YIPE and consequently its potential for empowering service users and promoting person-centred care. Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health as the basis resulted in an instrument that was appropriate for understanding the interrelationship between participation and the supportiveness of the usual environment in which participation generally takes place.

The YIPE is a useful tool to assist with developing person-centred goals, communicate needs with health professionals and it can be used at various points in a therapy process (preparation, monitoring or evaluation). The interrelationship between participation and the environment is important to consider when measuring functioning. Self-report empowers people to play an active role in interactions with health professionals and promote their own care.