COPM – Flashcard

The COPM is an outcome measure. The purpose of the COPM is to provide a framework of assessment and outcome measurement focused on occupation — in other words, the COPM is a measure of occupational performance and satisfaction with performance. The COPM gathers information and data about the occupations that a client needs, wants or is expected to do. Using the COPM, outcome measurement takes place at the level of the occupation. Research over the past 22 years indicates that the COPM is a responsive outcome measure that focuses on the outcomes of occupational therapy services from the client's unique perspective.

The COPM is client-centred and occupation-based. The COPM facilitates the development of an effective partnership between the occupational therapist and client. The process of using the COPM supports the view that the client is the expert in identifying issues in occupation that are currently challenging for them. Occupational therapists provide a unique focus on a person's daily occupations and their ability to participate in the occupations that are important for them within their environment.

The COPM is administered by way of a semi-structured interview. How the interview is conducted will depend upon the interviewing skills of the therapist, so it is important that the therapist has developed and honed those skills.

The COPM provides a foundation for goal setting. Most therapists report that they do ask clients specifically about their goals. Studies of this process however show that therapists do not typically enable clients to identify the specific occupations that are most important to them and that are currently causing challenges. The COPM is specifically designed to work with clients across all diagnoses, ages and settings to facilitate a structured goal setting process.

The COPM is an outcome measure because therapy interventions are based directly upon the client-identified occupational problems. The difference in the scores from the initial assessment of performance and satisfaction and the subsequent re-assessment relates directly to the goals and thus the interventions.

That the client values, preferences and needs are respected and that a supportive and caring relationship exists between the therapist and the client so that the strengths and expertise of the client are acknowledged. The therapist acts as an agent of the client so that the client is empowered to act autonomously.

In the client-centred approach, clients know what they want and need from therapy, therapists facilitate change, and the key to successful therapy is client empowerment.

The therapist uses 'active listening' as both a therapeutic tool and a valid intervention, takes time to hear clients' wishes and desires for their lives and supports clients in setting meaningful to them. The client-centred therapist facilitates client goals through expertise, knowledge, problem-solving skills and imagination.

Client-level challenges include the willingness of clients to take responsibility for their own therapy, inadequate problem-solving skills, level of education and family support and those with cognitive challenges. Therapist-level challenges include the lack of skills in interviewing and relating to clients, professional insecurity and differing expectations of the therapeutic relationship. The Organizational challenges include restrictive schedules and operating practices, the philosophy of the organization and approaches used by other team members.

Occupation is a curious thing. It pervades our lives and marks our days. It defines us and is defined by us. It both shapes the world and is shaped by the world. It can be known by the tools it uses and the wake it leaves in its path. It is intangible and invisible until a person engages in it. It is a performing art. It can only be seen when a person performs it and only understood when a person tells you its meaning (Polatajko, 2007). Occupation crosses gender, age, race, culture, the time of day, the time of life, and organizes and structures time for each of us.

Occupation refers to specific chunks of activity within the ongoing stream of human behaviour that are named in the lexicon of the culture.

Self-care, productivity (work) and leisure.

Occupation affects health and well-being, it organizes time and brings structure to living, it brings meaning to life and occupations are idiosyncratic.

Clients identify difficulties that they are having in daily occupations, they rate their performance and satisfaction with that performance during an initial interview. Subsequent intervention goals and therapy are based upon these difficulties. After an agreed-upon time in therapy, clients are asked to rate their performance and satisfaction. The difference between the two ratings is a way of determining the outcome of the intervention.

TRUE. The COPM helps in the understanding of what issues are important for the client.

TRUE. Once the COPM is completed, the problem areas will be identified and rated and these can form the basis of the goals for intervention.

FALSE. The COPM focuses on what the problems are. To understand why the problems are happening will require further assessment.

TRUE. The COPM is designed to measure outcomes.

TRUE. The client communicates the priorities through the importance ratings.

FALSE. The COPM is an individualized measure, not a norm-referenced measure.

TRUE. Clients rate their performance and satisfaction from their own perspective.

TRUE. The scope of OT practice and our domain of concern is very clear in the use of the COPM.

TRUE. From the beginning of the interaction with the client, by using the COPM, the therapist sends the message that this is a client-centred relationship.

FALSE. The clients do the ratings, not the therapist.