Systematic review of measurement properties of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure in geriatric rehabilitation

Purpose The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) is used to inventory problems experienced by the patient to set goals and evaluate treatment. We aimed to make a systematic overview of measurement properties for people in geriatric rehabilitation. Methods Seven electronic databases were searched for psychometric studies investigating content validity, construct validity, responsiveness, or reliability of the COPM in geriatric rehabilitation populations aged >= 60 years. Two reviewers independently abstracted data and assessed methodological quality from included studies. Results Of 292 identified articles, 13 studies were included. The COPM showed good test-retest reliability (two studies), moderate inter-rater reliability (one study), and good content validity (one study with some risk of bias). Four studies with minimal risk of bias showed good construct validity as their hypotheses were confirmed. Responsiveness was moderate in three studies with adequate methodological quality. Conclusion All measurement properties have been studied in geriatric rehabilitation populations, and indicate that the COPM gives relevant information for geriatric rehabilitation, and scores can be assessed reliably and are responsive to change. Although there were many studies on construct validity, authors had different opinions on what exactly COPM-scores tell us, as they used a variety of comparator instruments and different hypotheses. Consensus on exact interpretation of the scores is needed. Key summary pointsAim To make a systematic overview of measurement properties of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) for people in geriatric rehabilitation. Findings COPM showed moderate inter-rater reliability, good test-retest reliability, good content and construct validity, and moderate responsiveness in geriatric rehabilitation. When studying construct validity, authors used a variety of comparator instruments and different hypotheses. Message This overview of properties shows that the COPM gives relevant information for geriatric rehabilitation, and scores can be assessed reliably and are responsive to change.