Evaluation of a vocational training programme in primary health care rehabilitation: a case study

The content and effect of a new occupational therapy programme aimed for vocational training forming part of a research project named 'the Sollentuna Rehabilitation Project' are described for four patients (of 38) with musculoskeletal pain. In the programme, occupational therapy analysis and intervention alternated. Intervention was based on the model of human occupation, the rehabilitative, the biomechanical, and occupational adaptive frames of reference. Each patient participated in a structured interview and a job analysis. The programme was evaluated on five measurement occasions using the Goal Attainment Scale, self-assessments of patterns of daily occupation using an activity log, and self-estimation of pain using the 'Symtrack' instrument. On the fifth measurement occasion two of the patients had decreased their resting time and three were performing activities formerly avoided due to pain. Two patients' degree of assessed pain had decreased. Three of the four patients had attained their individual goals of occupational therapy (T= >50). The occupational therapy programme has proved to be applicable in primary health care for patients with musculoskeletal pain.