An Occupation-Based Review of Outcome Measures Used to Assess Hand Function After Burn Injury.

This article reviews outcome assessment tools commonly used in burn rehabilitation to evaluate hand function, focusing on the extent to which these tools incorporate occupation-based practice as measured by the Occupation-Based Practice Assessment (OBPA). Occupation is defined as meaningful and purposeful activities that individuals engage in, and its inclusion in assessments is considered vital for delivering occupational therapy that is client-centered and functionally relevant. The review found that most commonly used assessments in burn hand rehabilitation are either discrete or intermediate in their occupation-based nature, with only the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) classified as fully occupation-based. The article highlights a lack of validated, occupation-based performance measures for burn survivors and suggests that the Suitcase Packing Activity (SPA) may be a promising occupation-based tool pending further validation. It emphasizes the need for a combination of discrete and occupation-based assessments to better capture functional recovery and guide meaningful rehabilitation goals.