The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure: Is it a Reliable Measure in Clients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease?

The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) is now a widely used and accepted outcome measure for clients with chronic conditions. The aim of this study was to examine the reproducibility of the COPM in clients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Test-retest reliability of the performance and satisfaction scores has yet to be established in this population. The reasons for examining reliability are discussed. Fifteen clinically stable clients (eight men and seven women, mean age 67.1 years) were interviewed by an occupational therapist and their COPM performance and satisfaction scores recorded. A reassessment of the performance and satisfaction scores then took place about 7 days later. The scores were analysed using the mean difference, 95% confidence intervals and correlation coefficients. The results were as follows: performance score 1 and performance score 2: mean difference = 0.14 (95% CI: −0.39 to 0.68); and satisfaction score 1 and satisfaction score 2: mean difference = 0.42 (95% CI: −0.18 to 1.01). The intraclass correlation coefficients between test 1 and test 2 were high (r = 0.92 for performance and r = 0.90 for satisfaction). This study indicates that the COPM is a reliable tool in clients with COPD.