Evaluating self-care activities: comparison of a self-reported questionnaire with an occupational therapist interview

Accurately evaluating a patient's ability to perform self-care activities is important for clinical and research purposes. We compared assessments of self-care activities obtained from a patient self-administered questionnaire and an occupational therapist interview. Forty-five rheumatoid arthritis patients admitted to a multidisciplinary rheumatology rehabilitation unit were evaluated by both methods for their ability to bathe, dress, perform toileting and general hand activities. Patients reported requiring more assistance with self-care activities in a self-administered questionnaire than they did in an occupational therapist interview. For example, 78% of patients reported requiring no assistance with bathing in the therapist's interview, whereas 31% reported no assistance on the questionnaire. Patients appear more willing to admit difficulties with self-care activities in a self-administered questionnaire than in a personal interview.