Patient's perspective of cognitive assessment in occupational therapy.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A qualitative study examining patients' experiences with a neurological condition that requires occupational therapy cognitive assessment, exploring different areas of focus across impairment-based and occupation-based screens and assessments.
IRAS ID
352915
Contact name
Jane McKinnon
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Essex
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
This research is a qualitative study, part of a Professional Doctorate, carried out at one single site where the chief investigator works as part of their clinical practice as a clinical specialist in neurological rehabilitation. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) will be used to analyse the experiences of patients who have undergone cognitive assessment with their occupational therapist (OT). The study intends to recruit 6-8 participants:3-4 inpatients and 3-4 outpatients. Participants will be invited to participate in semi-structured interviews to discuss their experiences taking part in cognitive assessment.Purposive sampling will ensure a spread across inpatient and outpatient populations, all with a neurological condition who have accessed occupational therapy services at a specialist rehabilitation unit. Interviews will be conducted at the unit, a familiar environment for participants, ensuring a comfortable and private setting. The study will comply with ethical standards including informed consent and confidentiality.
The primary aim is to explore patients' experiences following cognitive assessments to uncover any opinions, preferences, or concerns they associate with each type of focus within their assessments carried out. Any cognitive assessments carried out will represent the usual process of assessment they would normally receive. The study will not alter or influence what type of assessment the treating OT selects and uses, this remains within their own clinical decision making. The study seeks to provide insights into the impact of assessment focus,impairment based or occupation based,on patients' experiences.Semi-structured interviews will be conducted, audio recorded, and analysed using IPA. Themes will be identified and analysed to provide a valued patient perspective on the debate between impairment-based and occupation-based assessment approaches.
The research aims to:
• Provide an understanding of patients' perspectives on the cognitive assessments they participated in.
• Review and potentially influence clinical practice guidelines based on patient responses.
• Identify areas for future research in the area of cognitive assessment.REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/NE/0227
Date of REC Opinion
11 Dec 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion