Does the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) Capture the Complex Experiences of Cancer Survivors? A Mixed Methods Approach

Canadian Occupational Performance Measure the state of the art - a review

BACKGROUND

Occupational therapists aim to deliver interventions to enhance clients' occupational performance and document the outcomes of clients' experience. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) is a measurement tool designed for such documentation, and a recognised measurement used worldwide. However, the authors' research and teaching experiences have revealed that there are often misinterpretations and uncertainties administering the COPM. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to present information to answer these issues.

METHODS

Based on a state-of-the-art review, 856 papers were identified on PubMed, of which 36 were included together with the first author's work, to summarise relevant answers.

RESULTS

Answers to the four key issues are unfolded to address the misinterpretations and uncertainties regarding: (1) the core content of the COPM, focussing on being client-centred; (2) understanding the term occupational performance; (3) reflecting on the psycho-metric status on the COPM, what it provides; (4) reflecting on necessary considerations when administering the measurement, understanding the measurement's five steps to ensure a valid and reliable use.

CONCLUSION

The valid, reliable, and applicable use of the COPM can be enhanced through therapists' commitments to and understanding of these four issues. Based on this, guidelines on how to best administer the COPM are provided.

Evaluating the Usability of an mHealth App for Empowering Cancer Survivors With Disabilities: Heuristic Evaluation and Usability Testing

BACKGROUND

More than 18 million cancer survivors are living in the United States. The effects of cancer and its treatments can have cognitive, psychological, physical, and social consequences that many survivors find incredibly disabling. Posttreatment support is often unavailable or underused, especially for survivors living with disabilities. This leaves them to deal with new obstacles and struggles on their own, oftentimes feeling lost during this transition. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions have been shown to effectively aid cancer survivors in dealing with many of the aftereffects of cancer and its treatments; these interventions hold immense potential for survivors living with disabilities. We developed a prototype for WeCanManage, an mHealth-delivered self-management intervention to empower cancer survivors living with disabilities through problem-solving, mindfulness, and self-advocacy training.

OBJECTIVE

Our study conducted a heuristic evaluation of the WeCanManage high-fidelity prototype and assessed its usability among cancer survivors with known disabilities.

METHODS

We evaluated the prototype using Nielsen's 10 principles of heuristic evaluation with 22 human-computer interaction university students. On the basis of the heuristic evaluation findings, we modified the prototype and conducted usability testing on 10 cancer survivors with a variety of known disabilities, examining effectiveness, efficiency, usability, and satisfaction, including a completion of the modified System Usability Scale (SUS).

RESULTS

The findings from the heuristic evaluation were mostly favorable, highlighting the need for a help guide, addressing accessibility concerns, and enhancing the navigation experience. After usability testing, the average SUS score was 81, indicating a good-excellent design. The participants in the usability testing sample expressed positive reactions toward the app's design, educational content and videos, and the available means of connecting with others. They identified areas for improvement, such as improving accessibility, simplifying navigation within the community forums, and providing a more convenient method to access the help guide.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, usability testing showed positive results for the design of WeCanManage. The course content and features helped participants feel heard, understood, and less alone.