Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM)

The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) turns the usual evaluation around. Instead of the therapist deciding what to measure, the client names what matters. Through a semi-structured interview covering self-care, productivity, and leisure, the person describes the daily activities they want to do, need to do, or are expected to do, and where those are going badly.

The client rates how important each identified problem is, then picks up to five to focus on. For each, they rate their own performance and their satisfaction with that performance, both from 1 to 10. Averaging gives two scores out of 10. Repeating the ratings after intervention shows change from the client's own point of view, which is the entire point of the measure.

• Shirley Ryan AbilityLab's Review

Licensing Notes: COPM uses a license by subscription rather than sold outright. Reproduction outside a current subscription requires permission.

Learn More: A 2-point change in the performance or satisfaction score is the commonly cited threshold for clinically meaningful improvement. Because the COPM depends on self-report and self-awareness, it may not hold up with clients who have significant cognitive impairment or limited insight.