Statement: occupational therapy services in work practice

Development of preventive behavior at work: Description of occupational therapists' practice

BACKGROUND

Integrating more prevention interventions into different workplace settings as a component of the role of occupational therapists has a significant relevance recognized by the occupational therapy professional community. Even if some studies suggested that occupational therapists already provide prevention interventions, and that other studies showed the efficacy of such interventions, the literature does not offer a comprehensive understanding of the specific practice of occupational therapists engaging in prevention in workplace settings.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to describe the practice of occupational therapists toward the development of preventive behaviour at work among their clients.

METHOD

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 occupational therapists. Phenomenological analysis was used to examine the content of the interviews.

RESULTS

Results suggest that occupational therapists form representations of preventive behavior that are consistent with theory, but those are limited and do not take into account the complexity of the concept. Results of the interviews found eight different interventions provided by occupational therapists toward the development of their clients' preventive behavior at work.

CONCLUSION

Occupational therapists recognize their role in supporting their clients' development of preventive behavior at work. However, they appear to lack a conceptual understanding and resources to help them in their practice toward prevention.

Using the Delphi Technique in Planning a Research Project on the Occupational Therapist's Role in Enabling People to Make Vocational Choices following Illness or Injury

While planning a research project intended to examine the role of the occupational therapist in enabling people to make vocational choices following illness or injury, it was decided to use the Delphi technique in order to ascertain the views of stakeholders in this field. Panellists were asked about the types of problem encountered when people are considering their future occupation after a long period of sick leave, and to identify the services that might be expected to assist with such problems. Although the response from selected panellists was initially poor, those who responded to the first round generally continued to respond to further rounds until a consensus was formed of stakeholder opinions.

The survey showed that financial problems, loss of confidence, coping with the effects of permanent disability, employers' attitudes and the need for training or retraining were considered to be the main problems facing people in this situation. Despite the low response, the Delphi technique proved itself to be a flexible and valuable tool for gathering data when planning services. This article aims to describe and evaluate the Delphi method, and to summarise the information gathered through its use on this occasion.

Occupational Therapy and Vocational Rehabilitation: An Audit of an Outpatient Occupational Therapy Service

In response to an increase in requests for vocational interventions to an outpatient occupational therapy department, an audit was carried out over a 6-month period to determine the size and nature of this demand and the outcome of the service provided.

The department provided rehabilitation principally to patients aged 16 to 65 years and, of 118 consecutive referrals, 76 (64%) included requests for work-related interventions. By the end of the audit period, 46 had returned to work, 21 were receiving ongoing vocational input and 9 had decided not to pursue employment. The value of addressing vocational issues within a general rehabilitation programme at an early stage after injury or illness is discussed.

Effective occupational therapy interventions in the rehabilitation of individuals with work-related low back injuries and illnesses: a systematic review

A systematic review of the literature related to effective occupational therapy interventions in rehabilitation of individuals with work-related low back injuries and illnesses was carried out as part of the Evidence-Based Literature Review Project of the American Occupational Therapy Association. This review evaluated research on a broad range of occupational therapy-related intervention procedures and approaches. Findings from the review indicate that the evidence is insufficient to support or refute the effectiveness of exercise therapy and other conservative treatments for subacute and chronic low back injuries. The research reviewed strongly suggests that for interventions to be effective, occupational therapy practitioners should use a holistic, client-centered approach. The research supports the need for occupational therapy practitioners to consider multiple strategies for addressing clients' needs. Specifically, interventions for individuals with low back injuries and illnesses should incorporate a biopsychosocial, client-centered approach that includes actively involving the client in the rehabilitation process at the beginning of the intervention process and addressing the client's psychosocial needs in addition to his or her physical impairments. The implications for occupational therapy practice, research, and education are also discussed.