ABSTRACT

Objective: The purpose of this study was to research the current state of occupational assessment tools and their use by Korean occupational therapist.Method: Data was obtained from October 13, 2001 to December 30, 2001 by means of a survey questionnaire. The participants were 96 occupational therapists (general hospitals, university-related hospitals, rehabilitation center, etc.). Analysis of the data was done by using descriptive statistics.Results: The length of time for initial evaluation was 42 minutes per one patient and reevaluation periods were every 3 months or as functional changes were detected. Among the assessment tools, the most frequently used tools w ere: Purdue Pegboard Test (47.9%) for assessing motor area, Motor-free Visual Perception Test (56.3%) and Mini-Mental Status Examination (54.2%) for cognitive perceptual assessments, Functional Independence Measure (56.3%) for daily activity assessment, Denver Developmental Screening Test (51%) for development assessment, Sensory Profile (14.6%) for sensory integration assessment, and Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (16.7%) for occupational performance assessment.Conclusion: The results of this study supported that the choice of evaluation tools may be depended on the administration length of time and simple procedures. Based on the results, provisions of more extended educational opportunities would promote the use of a greater variety of standardized assessment tools by Korean occupational therapists.