The Nature of Emerging Practice in Occupational Therapy: A Pilot Study

The profession of occupational therapy is responding to changes in the health care system by expanding the contexts and models for service provision, typically referred to as emerging practice. As a pilot study, a survey was completed by 174 occupational therapists to gather information and opinions about emerging practice. Results indicated occupational therapists hold diverse perceptions about emerging practice settings and services as well as the role and significance of emerging practice within the profession. Occupational therapists engaged in emerging practice described numerous rewards and challenges inherent within the process of developing and delivering services. The findings indicate continued professional dialogue and research are needed to support the development and efficacy of occupational therapy services in emerging settings and roles.     

Deinstitutionalisation of Occupational Therapy and Health Care Administrators Knowledge

Administrators of 100 Brisbane health care agencies were surveyed about their level of knowledge of traditional and nontraditional roles of occupational therapy and other allied health professions. Administrators were found to have reasonable levels of knowledge of the allied health professions, poor knowledge of occupational therapy, and very low levels of knowledge of the nontraditional roles of occupational therapy. Lack of health care administrator awareness of occupational therapy is a barrier to the transition of the profession from institutionally based models of practice to working in community health settings.     

A Review of: “Occupational Therapy for Physical Dysfunction 6th Edition (2008)”

Current changes in the health care delivery system have resulted in expanded roles for many occupational therapists in which they have had no training and little previous experience. The occupational therapy manager and administrator, in particular, is asked frequently to consult with and engage in collaborative efforts with interdepartmental personnel, community agencies, and consortia of health care services. Also, occupational therapists in private practice and the school systems often are asked to assume the role of a consultant. The necessary background and skills to perform effectively as a consultant in a variety of systems, including political lobbying activities, are presented in this article in a case approach to the issues. The theoretical constructs and the process of consultation are described in the case presentation.     

Training Occupational Therapy Managers

There is a need for occupational therapists to become competent managers in a diverse range of health care settings. In this paper, the author's continuing education course on management which they have conducted at the West Australian Institute of Technology (now Curtin University of Technology) over the past four years. Details of participants, their reasons for attending and their comments on the course are included. The authors emphasise the need for more continuing education in management and the provision of skills for coping with organisational life, in particular in a female dominated profession such as occupational therapy.     

Computer-Assisted Learning in Occupational Therapy

Computer-assisted learning has application at all levels of occupational therapy education and in the educational roles which occupational therapists accept with respect to clients, the community and allied health professionals. In this paper, recent applications of computer-assisted learning in undergraduate allied health professional education are outlined, along with some exciting, plausible applications of this technological medium to occupational therapy. The need for caution in embarking on the use of the medium, and the importance of cooperation amongst computer-assisted learning experts, educationalists, the profession and health professionals, particularly in computer-assisted learning production and research endeavours, is justified.     

Occupational therapy in mental health: challenges and opportunities

The National Mental Health Policy and National Mental Health Plan published in 1992 provided directions for the reform of mental health services in Australia. They stated that mental health services should be part of the mainstream health system and that integrated mental health programmes should be developed to cover the full range of specialist mental health services, focusing on improved quality of service, the consumers, equity of access, continuity of care and redistribution of resources. The Queensland Mental Health Plan published in 1994 set out specific objectives and strategies for implementing mental health service reform in Queensland. In Queensland there has been a concentration on developing core mental health services involving the reorientation of service delivery from institutions to the community, based on the principles of integration, mainstreaming and regional self-sufficiency. Major restructuring of mental health services is taking place, which has meant changes in service development, organizational structures and work practices. There has been a significant impact on the roles and skills required by the mental health workforce in the context of today's mental health services climate. There is a focus on staff providing individualized assessment and continuing treatment using a case management approach, within a continuum of care. Implications for occupational therapists include developing a generic skill base in preparation for broad-spectrum mental health professional roles while maintaining their professional identity. It is recommended that research be conducted to examine the capacity of occupational therapists to adapt to the changing mental health environment. Copyright © 1999 Whurr Publishers Ltd.     

Barriers to Occupational Therapy Practice in Wellness

Wellness programs are intended to increase the wellbeing of society and as a consequence reduce health care costs. Occupational therapy writers have urged therapists for the past two decades to move into wellness-related programming, yet current practice trends reflect only minimal involvement in wellness. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers to wellness practice, components of occupational therapy philosophy and practice that can promote wellness, and wellness concepts which can be incorporated into patient therapy sessions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three occupational therapists, two related health professionals and two former patients, all of whom have made contributions in wellness programming. A summary of the barriers to occupational therapists, entry into wellness is presented. Also, recommendations are provided on how occupational therapists can expand their holistic approach to include wellness concepts in all areas of practice.     

Marketing Occupational Therapy Services

The ability to understand and appropriately apply business skills is a key component in the development of a successful private practice. Marketing is one of the business skills occupational therapists need to have in order to take full advantage of the opportunities available to entrepeneurs in the health care industry. The purpose of this article is to present a structured approach to marketing occupational therapy services through the use of a marketing plan. The four components of a marketing plan, a situation analysis, the identification of problems, opportunities, and target markets, the development of a marketing strategy for each targeted market, and a method to monitor the plan, are discussed. Applications to occupational therapy practice are suggested. The use of a marketing plan as a method for organizing and focusing marketing efforts is an effective means of supporting and enhancing the development of a private practice.     

Supervision of the Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

As current trends in health care continue to develop, manpower demands within the profession of occupational therapy will continue to rise. Creative partnerships and collaborative efforts between therapists and assistants are rapidly becoming a necessity to provide cost-effective patient care within a variety of treatment settings. Several documents and resources concerning role delinieation and supervision of assistants are available within the literature; however, few resources have been compiled to address supervision and supervision strategies for the assistant. This paper addresses supervison of the assistant in a fairly broad and generic sense, and includes specific strategies that my be introduced to enhance the supervisory process.     

The Reindeer of Hope: An Occupational Therapy Program in a Homeless Shelter

SUMMARY

This article describes a successfully designed and implemented program created for mentally ill homeless men by Level II occupational therapy students from Eastern Kentucky University. Outcomes for the clients, the staff and the students were extremely positive and have contributed to the appreciation and acceptance of occupational therapy as a discipline that can contribute to the health of this underserved population. This model demonstrates the effectiveness of University sponsored fieldwork in introducing occupational therapy to the community, creating awareness of what occupational therapy has to offer and developing a climate to bring needed services to clients and provide community-based employment for occupational therapists.     

An Extension of the Occupational Therapy Role in Gerontology

This paper focuses on service delivery for the aged population. With the prevailing trend towards the maintenance of elderly persons in the community, the contribution to be made by the occupational therapy profession is explored. A review of the literature considers the needs of the elderly, and highlights the importance of occupational therapy expertise in the areas of functional independence, quality of life and life satisfaction. At the present time, most occupational therapy services for the elderly are being provided, within acute treatment or institutional settings. However, occupational therapy has the potential to provide services which will contribute greatly towards the independence and well-being of elderly persons living in the community.     

The Role of Occupational Therapy in Palliative Care

The purpose of this paper is to define the role of occupational therapy in palliative care, to describe the services currently available in the metropolitan area of Perth, Western Australia, and to make recommendations for the extension of occupational therapy services in the area of palliative care. The literature regarding occupational therapy in palliative care is reviewed; The results of interviews with occupational therapists and patients currently involved in palliative care are analysed; and the recommendations for future services are offered.     

Role for Occupational Therapy in Community Mental Health: Using Policy to Advance Scholarship of Practice

ABSTRACT

Occupational therapists must be aware of professional and policy trends. More importantly, occupational therapists must be involved in efforts to influence policy both for the profession and for the people they serve (Bonder, 1987). Using the state of Illinois as an example, this article reviews the policies and initiatives that impact service decisions for persons with psychiatric disabilities as well as the rationale for including occupational therapy in community mental health service provision. Despite challenges in building a workforce of occupational therapists in the mental health system, this article makes the argument that the current climate of emerging policy and litigation combined with the supporting evidence provides the impetus to strengthen mental health as a primary area of practice. Implications for scholarship of practice related to occupational therapy services in community mental health programs for individuals with psychiatric disability are discussed.     

Stress Management as a Component of Occupational Therapy in Acute Care Settings

The recent explosion of stress literature in the medical community has created a new awareness of "stress" as a potentially destructive force in itself. Contributing the physical and psychological dysfunction, stress has now been linked with a wide range of diagnoses including cancer, cardiac disease and arthritis. The importance of incorporating stress management activities into daily life is increasingly apparent. Occupational therapists concerned with patients' ability to achieve health enhancing independent living skills are in a key position to help patients master stress management skills and incorporate them into activities of daily living. This article will explore the incorporation of stress management into occupational therapy programming for a variety of acute care patients. It will review the components of stress, the stress cycle, the relaxation response, the occupational therapy role based on a model of human occupation, and will review current programs through case study of four patients: one diagnosed with cancer (leukemia), one with anorexia nervosa, one with chronic pain and the fourth, a patient in medical intensive care.