Master Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) with Picmonic for Physical Therapy

The COPM is an interview-based assessment tool, meaning that an occupational therapist or other trained healthcare professional administers the assessment through an interview process. A trained professional engages in a structured conversation with the client to gather information about their daily occupations, challenges, and priorities.

The COPM is a client-centered assessment tool that prioritizes the client's input and perspective throughout the assessment process. The client identifies their own problems or areas of concern and sets their own goals for therapy. The core philosophy of COPM is client-centered, which emphasizes the active involvement and empowerment of the client throughout the assessment process. It ensures that the client's perspectives, goals, and priorities are central to the evaluation and intervention.

The first step in the COPM is to identify problems or areas of concern in the client's life, such as difficulties with self-care, productivity, leisure, functional mobility, or life participation. In collaboration with the therapist, the client identifies and articulates specific challenges or areas of concern related to their daily occupations during the interview process.

In this step, the client assigns a numerical rating ranging from 1 to 10 to each identified problem to indicate its perceived significance and importance in their life.

The client chooses up to five problems from the identified list that they consider the most important, which will be further evaluated and scored in the subsequent steps.

During the performance scoring phase, the client rates their perceived performance and satisfaction with each identified problem on a scale of 1 to 10, providing a quantitative measure of occupational performance.

A follow-up evaluation conducted at a later point in time to assess the progress and changes in the client's occupational performance. It involves repeating the COPM process to compare the initial and current scores and determine the effectiveness of the intervention.

Self-care is the domain within COPM that refers to activities of daily living (ADLs) necessary for personal hygiene, grooming, dressing, and maintaining one's health and well-being. Self-care activities include personal hygiene, grooming, dressing, and other activities related to daily living.

Productivity is the area of occupational performance assessed in COPM that encompasses activities associated with one's ability to engage in meaningful work, education, volunteering, or any task contributing to personal growth, development, or contribution to society. This area includes paid and unpaid work, education, and household tasks.

Leisure refers to the domain of COPM that addresses activities undertaken for enjoyment, relaxation, self-expression, or creative expression. It includes hobbies, recreational pursuits, social activities, and any activities that bring pleasure or fulfillment.

ADLs are basic self-care activities necessary for personal hygiene, grooming, dressing, toileting, and eating. They are a subset of the self-care domain in COPM that specifically focuses on basic activities necessary for independent functioning, such as bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, mobility, and eating.

Functional mobility is the aspect of COPM that refers to a person's ability to move from one place to another and perform activities related to mobility, such as walking, using a wheelchair, or using assistive devices.

Life participation refers to a person's overall participation in daily life, including social roles, community activities, and other areas of participation. It encompasses a person's ability to engage in activities that are important to them and to maintain their independence and quality of life.