Qual-OT: A Quality of Life Assessment Tool

Abstract

A quality of lifeassessment tool to beused in occupational therapy is described, and initial psychometric data are presented. AbstractThe "Qual-Ol?' is an assessment tool that was developed to help define quality of life for the field of occupational therapy. The questiennaire was given to practicing occupational therapists (n = 194), people with spinal cord injuries (n = 78), and people with multiple sclerosis (n = 133). The information derived was used to test the premise that quality of life can be described uniformly, and that it is a construct about which therapists and clients have the samegeneral idea. Factor analyses of the original questions yielded seven distinct factors. Singlefactor ANOVAs revealed that there were differences among the diagnostic groups on thesefactors. These differences showedthat,for the most part, practicing occupational therapists obtained higher scores on the sevenfactors than the other two groups. Regula H. Robnett, MS. ors, received her MS degree in occupational therapy from the Colorado State University and is currently an occupational therapist at Sundance Rehabilitation in Portland, Maine.

Quality of life: An overview of issues for use in occupational therapy outcome measurement

“…Therefore, consideration of QOL may lead to the tailoring of therapy to be most relevant to the client, facilitating an intensely person‐centred approach ( Muldoon et al , 1998 ; Schipper et al , 1990 ). Improving QOL as a goal of therapy may also give recognition to areas of practice that are not as easily measured, such as the rapport between the therapist and client ( Martlew, 1996; Robnett & Gliner, 1995). QOL can also provide a measure of any potentially detrimental effects of therapy.…”

“…As QOL is a concept that is understood by the population at large, clients may more easily accept it than some impairment or activity level measures. This can lead to increased compliance in therapy, because the client understands the relevance of the therapy, and is closely involved in the process ( Robnett & Gliner, 1995). QOL is a measure that extends across disability or diagnosis groups.…”

“…In contrast, many of the outcome measures traditionally used by occupational therapists have tended to focus on performance components, such as range of motion and muscle strength measurements, or fragments of a person’s broader life roles, such as certain activities of daily living. There has been less concern with measuring more holistic or global outcomes, such as return to desired life roles or life satisfaction, which may more potently reflect the success of occupational therapy intervention ( Radomski, 1995; Robnett & Gliner, 1995). The alignment of the occupational therapy profession with a reductionist medical model, and the response of the profession to economic pressures to provide quantifiable outcomes, may be reasons for this trend ( McKenna, 1993).…”

“…Despite these parallels, there has been limited application of this concept in occupational therapy research and clinical practice ( Parmenter, 1994; Robnett & Gliner, 1995). This paper aims to give an overview of the conceptualization and measurement of QOL, as well as its potential advantages and applications as an outcome measure in occupational therapy.…”

Spirituality and Disability: An Analysis of Select Themes

“…Given that occupational therapy intrinsically values a holistic approach (AOTA, 1993), wellness (Johnson, 1986;Reitz, 1992;White, 1986), and quality of life (Robnett & Gliner, 1995), spirituality, which is part of all three of these professional components (Banks, 1980;Benjamin & Looby, 1998;Benzein, Norberg & Saveman, 1998;Conrad, 1985;Emblen & Halstead, 1993;Hamilton & Jackson, 1998;Kennedy, Davis & Taylor, 1998;Riley et al, 1998;Ross, 1995;Sellers & Haag, 1998) is appropriate to research for the profession. Furthermore, the current renewed interest in including spirituality in the profession indicates that spirituality is a timely topic to analyze for occupational therapy.…”