Implementing a Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) Group in the Day Rehab Setting: A Pilot Study

Many people affected by acquired brain injury do not return to participating in their environment. Cognition is a primary predictor of participation after stroke (Wong, Baum, Chen, Young, Heinemann, 2016). Metacognitive strategy training (MST) techniques are effective tools for increasing the independence of occupational therapy patients. The Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) (Polatajko & Mandich, 2004) approach is an effective form of MST. The goal of CO-OP is to generalize and transfer skills and problem solving strategies learned in therapy to increase participants' participation in their environment. While CO-OP has proven effective in adults with executive function deficits in a one on one structure and in pediatrics in a group structure, adult day rehabilitation occupational therapists have found this intervention difficult to implement secondary to the current one on one structure favored for adults. As there is a dearth of literature on group CO-OP approaches for adults this is a novel study that provides a significant opportunity to improve outcomes for OT patients.

The primary purpose of this study has two aims. The first is to standardize the CO-OP group curriculum first created for Zera's (2018) feasibility study. The second aim is to examine initial data comparing an adult CO-OP group with a control group.

This randomized control pilot study will estimate for 22 participants, 11 for the CO-OP group and 11 for the control group, expecting 8 for each to complete the study.

Quantitative data will be collected through the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) (Law et al., 2014) an objective measure of performance and satisfaction of participants' goals, The Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) (Fischer, & Bray Jones 2012) an observational assessment of motor and process skills, and the Community Participation Index (CPI) (Heinemann et al., 2011) a survey that measures community participation. To collect qualitative data a focus group will be completed and field notes collected. Groups will also be video recorded to collect additional qualitative data on participant group process and group facilitator use of the CO-OP cueing hierarchy. Videos will be analyzed for themes.