Home-Based Occupational Therapy: Stroke Patients' Satisfaction with Occupational Performance and Service Provision

Abstract

This study evaluated a short post-discharge home-based occupational therapy service for stroke patients, including an assessment of the patients' satisfaction with occupational performance and service provision. A single-site, blind randomised controlled trial was conducted. One hundred and thirty-eight patients were randomly allocated to either a conventional outpatient follow-up or conventional services plus 6 weeks of home-based occupational therapy. The data were collected before discharge and at 7 weeks and 6 months after discharge using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), the Dartmouth COOP Charts, the London Handicap Scale and a patient satisfaction questionnaire. At 7 weeks the intervention group reported significantly greater changes in performance and satisfaction on the COPM, better emotional scores (Dartmouth COOP Charts) and improved work and leisure activity scores (London Handicap Scale). No other differences in subjective health status were described. By 6 months, the intervention group was more satisfied with several aspects of service provision but no other differences in subjective health experience were reported. A 6-week post-discharge home-based occupational therapy service can improve patients' perceptions of their occupational performance and satisfaction with services but may not have a long-term effect on subjective health outcomes.