Perspectives Summer/Fall 2016

COLLEGE OF HEALTH CARE SCIENCES • 29 TAMPA Identifying Assessment Practices in Oncology Care Mary Frances Baxter, Ph.D., OT, FAOTA, a research colleague from Texas Woman’s University in Houston, and I recently completed a research study to explore what type of assessments occupational therapy practitioners are currently using in the field of oncology. The identified need for the study was twofold. The first was that there is limited information on occupational therapy in practice as related to the use of standardized assessments in the field of oncology care. The second need was identified by the Occupational Therapy Ad Hoc Committee on the State of Oncology Rehabilitation in regard to identify- ing exactly what standardized assessments are being completed by occupational therapy practitioners as related to oncology care. Data gathering was completed through the deployment of an oncology care survey that consisted of a list of standardized assessments used in occupational therapy practice for adults. Practitioners from across the United States who work in a variety of settings participated in the study. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment and the Functional Independence Measure were the most frequently reported assessments used by occupational therapists with clients in oncology settings. The study’s findings add to the body of knowledge focusing on the field of occupational therapy and oncology care. In addition, the results have contributed to the consideration of developing additional research projects that will further explore the role of the occupational therapy practitioner working with individu- als who are cancer survivors. n THE FOLLOWING THREE ARTICLES WERE WRITTEN BY SHEILA M. LONGPRÉ, M.O.T., OTR/L, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AND DIRECTOR OF CLINICAL AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS. Sheila M. Longpré