Research Article

Canadian Occupational Performance Measure Supported by Talking Mats: An Evaluation of the Clinical Utility

Table 1

The guideline—overview of content.

The guideline supported preparation of the COPM interview using TM as a supportive tool. The purpose of the guideline was to support promotion in the client-centered approach during the COPM interview. It followed the five steps of the COPM interview.
(i) Consider mind mapping the activities, interests, and roles of the client
(ii) Do you need information from relatives, caregivers, or others?
(iii) Which structure of the interview is preferable? (completing the interview and rating one OP issue at a time or finishing the interview and completing the rating scales afterwards)
(iv) To what extent do you expect the client to manage the pictures/symbols?
(v) Consider the formulation of questions in full for the client concerned
(vi) Choice of documentation, either the original COPM form or photos of the mats after each step
COPM step 1: identifying occupational performance problems
(i) Choice of images: size, amount, or type
(ii) Choice of relevant division of the mat
COPM step 2: rating importance of identified activities
(i) Choice of mats and rating scales. 10-point scale is optimal. Alternatively, choose 10-point scales with images or words. Be aware of the validity
COPM steps 3 and 4: scoring OP and satisfaction
(i) The process of choosing the most important OP issues allows for reflection and validation of the clients’ answers. Use the same mat used in step 2
(ii) Choice of rating scales. 10-point scale is optimal. Alternatively, choose scales with images or words. Be aware of the validity. Lowest rating option is placed on the left side of the mat
COPM step 5: reassessment
(i) Choose the same scales as in steps 3 and 4