Personal Care Participation Assessment and Resource Tool: Clinical utility for inpatient rehabilitation

BACKGROUND: Evidence supports validity of the Personal Care Participation Assessment and Resource Tool (PC-PART), but clinical utility remains unverified.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate occupational therapists' perceptions about the PC-PART's clinical utility for inpatient rehabilitation.

METHOD: Using mixed methods, occupational therapists who had used the PC-PART as part of a research study in an inpatient rehabilitation setting completed a questionnaire (n = 9) and participated in a focus group (n = 6) to explore their perspectives about its clinical utility. Quantitative data were summarized and qualitative data analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.

FINDINGS: Quantitative data highlighted both positive and negative aspects of the PC-PART's clinical utility. Five themes emerged from the qualitative data: nature of information gathered; familiarity with the instrument; perceived time and effort; item phrasing, interpretation, and presentation; and external influences on clinical use.

IMPLICATIONS: The PC-PART was perceived to support gathering of clinically useful information, helpful to intervention and discharge planning. Recommendations for improving some item phrasing, operational definitions, and instructions were identified. Although standardized assessments were valued, use in routine practice was challenging, requiring a knowledge translation strategy.