Department of Occupational Therapy Program Faculty Articles
Documenting Progress: Hand Therapy Treatment Shift From Biomechanical to Occupational Adaptation
Publication Title
The American Journal of Occupational Therapy
Publisher
The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.
ISSN
1943-7676
Publication Date
1-2010
Abstract
The investment of time and self to develop therapeutic relationships with clients appears incongruent with today’s time-constrained health care system, yet bridging the gap of these incongruencies is the challenge therapists face to provide high-quality, client-centered, occupation-based treatment. This case report illustrates a shift in approach from biomechanical to occupational adaptation (OA) in an orthopedic outpatient clinic. The progress of a client with lupus-related arthritis who was 6 days postsurgery is documented. The intervention initially used a biomechanical frame of reference, but when little progress had been made at 10 weeks after surgery, a shift was made to the more client-centered OA approach. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure was administered, and an OA approach was initiated. On reassessment, clinically important improvements were documented in all functional tasks addressed. An OA approach provides the bridge between the application of clinical expertise, client-centered, occupation-based therapy and the time constraints placed by payer sources.
DOI
10.5014/ajot.64.1.82
Volume
64
Issue
1
First Page
82
Last Page
87
Disciplines
Occupational Therapy
NSUWorks Citation
Jack, Jada and Estes, Rebecca I., "Documenting Progress: Hand Therapy Treatment Shift From Biomechanical to Occupational Adaptation" (2010). Department of Occupational Therapy Program Faculty Articles. 125.
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hpd_ot_faculty_articles/125
