How can occupational therapists measure outcomes in palliative care?

The objective of this paper is to identify an outcome measure for occupational therapy interventions with palliative clients, in particular Home Assessments. Several possibilities beyond traditional functional measures are considered, and the notion of quality of life (QoL) as a potential measure an...

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Published inPalliative medicine Vol. 21; no. 6; pp. 477 - 485
Main Authors Pearson, Elizabeth JM, Todd, Julia G, Futcher, Jennifer M
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London, England Sage Publications 01.09.2007
Sage Publications Ltd
Subjects
Assessment
Cancer therapies
Delivery of Health Care - methods
Endpoint Determination - methods
Health Personnel
Humans
Intervention
Interventions
Occupational therapists
Occupational Therapy
Oncology
Outcome Assessment (Health Care) - methods
Palliative care
Palliative Care - standards
Patients
Quality Assurance, Health Care - methods
Quality of life
Quality of Life - psychology
Therapists
outcome assessment
home assessment
quality of life
palliative care
occupational therapy
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Summary:The objective of this paper is to identify an outcome measure for occupational therapy interventions with palliative clients, in particular Home Assessments. Several possibilities beyond traditional functional measures are considered, and the notion of quality of life (QoL) as a potential measure and routine part of assessment is discussed. A systematic literature search resulted in 45 QoL tools that might be suitable for palliative care. The validation or development papers for these tools were closely examined. Twenty-four instruments met the inclusion criteria for further consideration for use by occupational therapists. The research found that it may be feasible for occupational therapists to use a QoL tool as a routine part of assessing each palliative patient, with the objective of focusing interventions to priority areas identified by the patient. Further work in this area will identify a range of established and validated methods of assessing QoL, suitable for different stages within the palliative phase of illness for purposes including assessment, support and targeted interventions. Palliative Medicine 2007; 21: 477—485
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ISSN:0269-2163
1477-030X
DOI:10.1177/0269216307081941