EVALUATING PATIENT MOTIVATION IN PHYSICAL-DISABILITIES PRACTICE SETTINGS

Objectives. Motivation is an important, factor in and predictor of per son's recovery from illness, yet no information exists about how occup ational therapists actually evaluate patient motivation in clinical pr actice. This article describes a pilot study of how occupational thera pists in ii physical disabilities settings evaluate patient motivation . Method. A sample of 150 fieldwork coordinators in physical disabilit ies treatment centers were surveyed about whether they evaluate patien t motivation and about the methods they used to evaluate patient motiv ation. Results. Most respondents reported that they evaluate motivatio n informally and throughout treatment Respondents evaluate motivation mostly via general discussion, observation of patient conduct and acti ons, and information from others. Less than one third discussed intere sts and goals with patients to evaluate motivation. Despite questionab le methods of evaluation of motivation, a majority of respondents repo rted that their evaluation influences their treatment approaches and i mproves treatment outcomes. Conclusion. Instruction about the definiti on and evaluation of motivation may increase the frequency of motivati on evaluation in occupational therapy.