Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM)

Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM)

Basic Information

• Title/Author(s):
  Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM)
  Authors: Law, M., Baptiste, S., Carswell, A., McColl, M. A., Polatajko, H., & Pollock, N.
  
  

• Edition and Year:
  5th Edition, 2019
  Published by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT).
  
  

Assessment Details

• Types of Assessment:
  
  

  • Standardized and Criterion-Referenced: The COPM follows structured administration and scoring procedures but is not norm-referenced.
    
    

  • Performance-Based and Semi-Structured Interview: It involves open dialogue between therapist and client regarding occupational performance challenges.
    
    

• Cost & Accessibility:
  
  

  • COPM Manual and 100 Forms Kit: $225.45 CAD
    
    

  • Manual/Form Kit (Manual plus 10 forms): $52.45 CAD
    
    

  • Available from the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT).
    
    

  • Link: BUY COPM Products | COPM
    
    

• Population & Setting:
  
  

  • Appropriate for:
    
    

    • Children (6–12 years)
      
      

    • Adolescents (13–17 years)
      
      

    • Adults (18–64 years)
      
      

    • Older Adults (65+ years)
      
      

  • Used across:
    
    

    • Rehabilitation settings
      
      

    • Mental health programs
      
      

    • Community-based settings
      
      

    • Acute care and outpatient clinics
      
      

  • Applicable for individuals with conditions such as brain injury, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, stroke recovery, and chronic pain.
    
    

• Purpose & Areas Assessed:
  
  

  • Purpose:
    
    

    • To identify, prioritize, and measure an individual's perceived occupational performance issues in self-care, productivity, and leisure.
      
      

    • Facilitates personalized goal-setting and monitors changes over time.
      
      

  • Areas Assessed:
    
    

    • Self-care (e.g., personal care, functional mobility)
      
      

    • Productivity (e.g., paid/unpaid work, household management)
      
      

    • Leisure (e.g., quiet recreation, socialization)
      
      

Administration & Scoring

• Administration:
  
  

  • Time Required: 10–45 minutes.
    
    

  • Format: Administered individually.
    
    

  • Structure: Involves structured interview prompts guiding the client through identification, rating, and re-evaluation of occupational performance issues.
    
    

• User Qualifications:
  
  

  • Intended for occupational therapists or trained healthcare professionals familiar with client-centered, occupation-based assessment approaches.
    
    

• Materials Required:
  
  

  • COPM Manual
    
    

  • COPM Forms
    
    

  • Scoring Worksheet
    
    

  • Interview Guide
    
    

• Scoring:
  
  

  • Clients rate:
    
    

    • Importance of each identified occupational performance issue (scale of 1–10).
      
      

    • Performance and Satisfaction related to each identified area.
      
      

  • Change scores between evaluations indicate client progress and therapy outcomes.
    
    

Psychometrics/Standardization

• Reliability:
  
  

  • Demonstrates high test-retest reliability and strong internal consistency across different client groups and settings.
    
    

• Validity:
  
  

  • Extensive studies support content, criterion, convergent, divergent, and construct validity of the COPM.
    
    

• Norms:
  
  

  • The COPM is not norm-referenced.
    
    

  • Scores are individualized based on each client's self-report and are not compared to population norms.
    
    

Critical Thinking Sections

Strengths

• Highly client-centered — Facilitates individualized, meaningful intervention planning.
  
  

• Efficient administration — Quick interview format fits clinical workflows.
  
  

• Applicable across populations and settings — Versatile tool for rehabilitation, mental health, pediatrics, and geriatrics.
  
  

• Effective in tracking outcomes — Supports evidence-based practice by measuring client-reported change over time.
  
  

Weaknesses

• Requires clinician skill — Effective administration relies on training in client-centered interviewing and scoring.
  
  

• Subject to self-report bias — Results depend on the client’s self-perception, which may be influenced by mood, insight, or motivation.
  
  

• Higher cost compared to some tools — Especially if large quantities of forms are needed.
  
  

• Not norm-referenced — Limits its use in certain types of comparative research studies.
  
  

References

Law, M., Baptiste, S., Carswell, A., McColl, M. A., Polatajko, H., & Pollock, N. (1991). Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists.

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. (n.d.). Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). Retrieved from https://www.sralab.org/