Cultural Variations in Bay Area Functional Performance Evaluation Scores — Considerations for Occupational Therapy

Abstract

In comparing the scores obtained in the Bay Area Functional Performance Evaluation test by two groups of acute psychiatric patients, one in San Francisco, California and the other in Vancouver, British Columbia, this paper examines aspects of performance which may be culturally determined. Given the limitations of the medical model used in many acute psychiatric programs, it considers possible alternative uses of this standardized test beyond the traditional occupational therapy initial assessment which may enhance its value: in identifying important information for treatment planning by the occupational therapist and providing a way of measuring a patient's readiness for discharge.