Occupational Therapy Assessment Practice Patterns for Core Domains in Adult Populations.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Therapy
• Healthcare Practice Assessment

Background:

• Effective patient outcomes rely on robust occupational therapy services.
• Adequate assessment practices are fundamental for successful intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine variations in occupational therapy assessment practices.
• To identify differences based on facility type, assessed domains, and instruments used.
• To characterize common practices and pinpoint potential assessment gaps.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional online survey was conducted.
• 1,198 occupational therapy practitioners participated.
• Assessments covered six core adult domains: ADL, IADL, fear of falling, functional cognition, psychosocial, and vision.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in assessed domains and methods were found between hospital inpatient post-acute care and community settings.
• Variability exists in assessment methods for critical occupational therapy domains.
• The extent to which therapists evaluate specific domains differs across practice settings.

Conclusions:

• Occupational therapy assessment practices are not uniform across all settings.
• There is a need to address variability in assessment to ensure comprehensive patient care.
• Identifying and bridging assessment gaps can enhance the value and effectiveness of occupational therapy.