How does the profession assess soft tissue injuries?
Occupational therapy assessment is conducted within various contexts – home, school, workplace and community. Occupational therapists look at the context within which the person functions, evaluating and commenting on the person’s ability or inability to perform daily tasks. Findings, conclusions and recommendations reached by the occupational therapists are generally based on the following four areas. • Document review and/or information gathered from family and health care providers; • Claimant interview to determine pre-accident activity level, pre-existing health status, accident-related history, course of treatment, progress to date, perception of injuries and functional implications; • Physical assessment conducted using formalized and standardized testing provides objective information regarding musculoskeletal status and physical capacity; • Functional assessment in which a claimant demonstrates the ability to perform (within medical restrictions) actual tasks within the home o
