What is the timeframe for using PREP?
The PREP protocol was originally designed to address three participation goals over a 20-week period. This included a 4-week baseline phase, a 12-week intervention period and a 4-week follow-up. Often, the protocol will need to be modified to accommodate everyday client circumstances (e.g., surgery, vacation, and other life events). In these situations, it is possible to take a break from the protocol and continue when the client is ready to participate. It can also be modified to include a different number of goals, or to accommodate clinical schedules, client priorities, and/or the availability of programs and activities in which the client may wish to participate. For example, a planned timeframe may need to shift or be modified to accommodate a goal that involves a seasonal activity (e.g., participating on an outdoor baseball or soccer team). While we recommend working on one goal at a time to allow you to easily compare results and see what has worked for the client, you can also work on more than one goal at a time to fit your or the client’s schedule.
The diagram above illustrates the timeframe of the 20-week protocol. As illustrated, during the initial visit, the client (and others as needed) works with the occupational therapist to set three participation goals. Goal setting is followed by a 4-week baseline period and then a 12-week intervention – 4 weeks of intervention are scheduled for each goal. A follow-up visit occurs 4 weeks after the end of the intervention and can occur in person or through the use of technology. Please remember that this timeframe is flexible – you can modify the timeframe to work with your and the client’s schedule.
What is Needed to Use PREP?
There is no specific equipment or resources that are required to use PREP – what is needed will vary depending on the goals set by the individual and the individual/family’s needs. We recommend using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) (Law et al., 2014) as a tool to work with the client to identify participation issues and as a method to measure change following the intervention. When working with clients ages 5-17, the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY) (Coster, Law & Bedell, 2010) is also recommended. The Recommended Measures section has further information about these measures.