Matthews Model of Clinical Reasoning

The Matthews Model of Clinical Reasoning (MMCR) provides occupational therapy practitioners with a systematic approach to develop their clinical reasoning skills during the evaluation and intervention process when collaborating with persons served across multiple practice locations.

The three core constructs of person, environment, and occupation lay the foundation for practitioners to compartmentalize information from selected evaluations, determine relevant intervention priorities, implement occupation-based intervention plans, and interpret successful outcomes. This book, influenced by these constructs, the practice framework, and accreditation standards for academic preparedness, provides the reader with the foundational information on how to apply the core constructs using a MMCR systematic approach for evaluation and intervention. Within the chapters are a variety of instructional methods, interviews with practitioners of various levels of experience, and case study examples. Clinical reasoning guidesheets are presented to assist the reader to follow the MMCR clinical reasoning process in terms of evaluation findings, application of frame of reference (FOR)/practice models, intervention strategies, and documentation.

Occupational therapy students and practitioners will be provided with the foundational skills to systematically think about and apply the steps of the clinical reasoning process, starting with a person’s evaluation through the completion of the intervention plan.

Laurie Knis-Matthews, PhD, OT, has been an occupational therapist for over thirty years, primarily focused on mental health practice. Laurie has been conceptualizing the MMCR since she began teaching full-time in academia over twenty-five years ago.