Identifying, organizing and prioritizing ideas on how to enhance ADL ability

Abstract

Background: There is a need to develop evidence-based occupational therapy programs aiming at enhancing the ability to perform Activities of Daily Living (ADL) among persons living with chronic conditions. Information from different sources is to be integrated in the development process. Thus, it is necessary to engage both occupational therapists and persons living with chronic conditions in suggesting ideas on how to enhance the ADL ability.

Objective: To identify, organize and prioritize ideas on how to enhance ability to perform ADL in persons with chronic conditions.

Material and method: Group Concept Mapping, involving brainstorming, sorting, labeling, rating and validation of ideas, was applied among persons with chronic conditions (n = ≤ 18) and occupational therapists (n = ≤ 23). Multidimensional scaling analysis and cluster analyzes were applied.

Results: 149 ideas were identified and organized into seven clusters related to applying new adaptational strategies, personal factors, social surroundings and relevant services and opportunities. Each cluster contained ideas of high priority to persons with chronic conditions and/or occupational therapists.

Conclusion: A span of highly relevant themes, illustrated the complexity of enhancing ADL ability. This should be considered in the development of interventions aiming at enhancing ADL ability in persons with chronic conditions.

Keywords:

• Occupational therapy
• user involvement
• group concept mapping
• chronic conditions
• developing complex interventions

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank both the persons living with chronic conditions and the occupational therapist who participated in the study. Additionally, the authors would like to acknowledge the occupational therapists Ellen Birk Larsen, Rikke Frost Dyrhave, Mette Hedeboe, Inge Skovby Hansen, Mette Leth, Lone Decker and Maj Vinberg, MD for recruiting participants for study.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The study was supported by the Danish Association of Occupational Therapy under Grant FF 1 15 - 5 and FF 2 15 - 07; the OAK Foundation under Grant OCAY-13-309; and the Aase and Ejnar Danielsen Foundation under Grant 40-000887.