Comparison of occupation-based and impairment-based occupational therapy for subacute stroke: a randomized controlled feasibility study

Objective:To compare occupation-based and impairment-based approaches in occupational therapy and determine the feasibility of patient recruitment and retention.Design:A multicenter, randomized, controlled pilot trial with a single blind assessor.Setting:Ten subacute rehabilitation units in Japan.Participants:Fifty-four patients with subacute stroke.Interventions:The experimental group used the iPad application, Aid for Decision-making in Occupation Choice, to establish occupation-based goals, and evaluation and intervention were conducted mainly through real occupations. The control group was evaluated according to patients’ generic abilities and activities of daily living (ADL), and the intervention mainly involved the impairment-based approach.Main outcome measures:Short Form-36, Functional Independence Measure, Brunnstrom recovery stages, The Client Satisfaction Questionnaire, and length of hospital stay.Results:Of the 1465 potential participants, 54 (3%) subacute stroke patients were enrolled over 16...