OBJECTIVE. Although the practice of occupational therapy is described in textbooks, research, and professional standards, a tool for outcomes research is needed.
METHOD. The Occupational Therapy Practice Checklist (OTPC), based on the Model of Occupational Performance (Pedretti, 1996), includes domains of adjunctive, enabling, purposeful, and occupational performance. Practices are also identified by phase of therapy (early, middle, late). The OTPC was piloted with 40 adults in an outpatient physical rehabilitation center.
RESULTS. The Kuder Richardson 20 coefficient of internal consistency was .91. Practices on the OTPC discriminated between clients with and without neurological disorders.
CONCLUSION. The OTPC has potential for yielding knowledge about occupational therapy practice. Results of the pilot show that occupational therapy practice was not linear, as theorized, but rather a complex integration of techniques.
