The challenges of using outcome measures in an acute setting
Amanda Chesterton talks about trialling the use of a service-wide outcome measure within an acute inpatient setting .
U
se of outcome measures in occupational therapy practice is highly recommended , not only to demonstrate the efficacy of a service to management and financial bodies , but also to promote best practice at service level ( Unsworth 2000 ).
There are many outcome measures readily available , across a wide variety of formats , for occupational therapists to use . The challenge of selecting and using an appropriate outcome measure for use across an acute inpatient service is multi-factorial .
The vast array of diagnoses and functional problems with which patients present makes it very difficult to select one outcome measure that is suitable for use with all patients in order to fairly evaluate a service .
Time constraints and the fact that therapists may only see patients for one or two contacts immediately rules out many of the lengthier outcome measures available .
Our project aims and objectives
The Walton Centre is a dedicated neurosciences trust in Liverpool , which operates as a regional centre . In addition to outpatient services , the trust accepts planned and emergency acute inpatient admissions , principally from across Cheshire , Merseyside , North Wales and the Isle of Man but also from other areas of the UK and Northern Ireland . It is a major trauma centre .
This project was developed as a service evaluation and presented to The Walton Centre
© Marcus Lindstrom via Getty Images
38 OTnews February 2022