Work after breast cancer: Identification of cognitive difficulties using the Perceive, Recall, Plan, and Perform (PRPP) System of Task Analysis

Abstract

Introduction: Few ecologically valid assessment tools are available for occupational therapists to evaluate the cognitive demands and performance of women with breast cancer in the workplace. This study aims to identify difficulties in work-related cognitive strategy use experienced by women with breast cancer using the Perceive, Recall, Plan, and Perform (PRPP) System of Task Analysis. Method: Deductive content analysis was used to code secondary data from 10 interview transcripts involving women who had breast cancer and experienced difficulties in everyday cognitive functioning after treatment. Thirty-four PRPP cognitive strategy items were used as predetermined codes in a secondary analysis to identify and quantify specific cognitive difficulties described by the women. Results: The 10 women experienced problems with work tasks that required the cognitive strategies related to the 'programming', 'continuing', and 'attending' processing categories of the PRPP system. In addition, the women demonstrated strengths in their capacity to evaluate their own thinking and performance. Conclusion: This pilot study indicated the need for further research to determine how cognitive impairments which may occur after breast cancer treatment impact on occupational performance in a complex work environment. The PRPP System of Task Analysis was identified as a potentially useful measurement and interview tool for this purpose.

Stroke survivors’ occupational performance and cognitive strategy use: A pilot exploration of strengths and difficulties using the Perceive Recall Plan Perform System of Task Analysis

“…Whilst participants in this study achieved similar recall quadrant scores to community-dwelling adults with schizophrenia (Aubin et al, 2014), the stroke cohort displayed lower total PRPP scores, suggesting greater difficulty in the perceive and plan quadrants. In both this study and that of Lewis et al (2016), at least one participant scored 100% in 11 of the 12 sub-quadrants and both groups scored over 90% for 'recalls facts', indicating a diverse range of strengths and efficient use of pre-existing knowledge. However, the participants in this current study experienced greater difficulties in mapping and evaluating, which may be attributed to specific difficulties that stroke survivors experience in attention and perception (ISWP, 2016: 59-64).…”

“…As stroke survivors receiving early supported discharge (ESD) services have diversity of cognitive presentations, rehabilitation goals and environments, the flexibility of the PRPP may support its application in this setting. The PRPP has demonstrably measured task mastery and cognitive strategy application in populations with neurocognitive dysfunction (Lewis et al, 2016;Nott and Chapparo, 2012;Steultjens et al, 2012); however, there is negligible published evidence regarding how stroke survivors apply their cognitive strategies during everyday activities whilst receiving ESD (Chouliara et al, 2014).…”

Cognitive aspects of social competence in the current New South Wales Kindergarten to Grade Six Syllabuses

“…The PRPP is an occupation‐based, standardised, criterion‐referenced assessment which measures the effectiveness of cognitive strategy use during task performance. It has been used successfully to measure change in cognitive strategy use during everyday occupational performance with adults (Nott, Chapparo & Heard, ) and children (Mills, Chapparo & Hinitt, ) who have difficulties with learning and behaviour, and has been used to analyse text‐based data (Lewis, Chapparo, Mackenzie & Ranka, ). Research indicates good inter‐rater and intra‐rater reliability and excellent discriminant validity (Nott et al .).…”

Cancer-related cognitive impairment in breast cancer survivors: An examination of conceptual and statistical cognitive domains using principal component analysis

“…Clear, comprehensive, and objective guidelines for CRCI assessment would lead to more reliable and valid results, which would subsequently help to improve the overall quality of life and health outcomes of cancer survivors and their families. 45 , 46 Additionally, it would allow health care practitioners and researchers to gain a precise and accurate idea of the impact of cancer treatment on the human brain. Redundancy of scales or divergence about their interpretations ( i.e ., what cognitive domains they assess) may lead to confusion, thereby increasing the risk of misclassification.…”