Priority 18 from the Occupational Therapy PSP

UNCERTAINTY: What do other people (including healthcare professionals and other colleagues occupational therapists might work with, people who access services and their families and carers), think about the role of occupational therapy? (JLA PSP Priority 18)
Overall ranking 18
JLA question ID 0100/18
Explanatory note Occupational therapy draws on a broad range of skills and operates in a wide range of contexts within and beyond statutory health and social care provision. The scope of occupational therapy practice spans mental and physical health and working with a wide range of people from various groups and communities at various points across the lifespan. Occupational therapy adopts a person-centred, holistic, psychosocial approach that aims to empower people accessing services to self-manage, self-determine and participate in the everyday 'occupations' or activities that are individually meaningful to them.
All of these features mean that the profession can be challenging to precisely and neatly describe, and the 'tools' in the occupational therapy 'toolbox' can superficially appear to be common-sense. How the profession is perceived continues to be of interest to many, and this question aims to explore those views from a range of perspectives.
Evidence

Other than a small number of papers concentrated in specific areas of healthcare and testimonials from patient experience websites and media libraries, there is very little research-based evidence to answer this question. This is an area of uncertainty.
Badger, S., et al. (2016). ""It's not about treatment, it's how to improve your life": The lived experience of occupational therapy in palliative care." Palliative & Supportive Care 14(3): 225-231.
Kingston, G., et al. (2019). "Perceptions of acute hospital occupational therapy services: developing a new model of care for occupational therapy on acute medical wards." International Journal of Therapy & Rehabilitation 26(12): 1-9.
Marston, C., et al. (2015). "Patients' and caregivers' perceptions of occupational therapy and adapting to discharge home from an inpatient palliative care setting." British Journal of Occupational Therapy 78(11): 688-696.
Nissen, R. M., et al. (2018). "Persons With Dementia and Their Caregivers' Perceptions About Occupational Therapy and Telehealth: A Qualitative Descriptive Study." Home Healthcare Now 36(6): 369-378.
Thompson, S., et al. (2017). "Patients', Caregivers', and Parents' Perceptions of Occupational Therapists." American Journal of Occupational Therapy 71: 171-171.
Walsh, W. E. (2018). "Investigating Public Perception of Occupational Therapy: An Environmental Scan of Three Media Outlets." The American Journal Of Occupational Therapy: Official Publication Of The American Occupational Therapy Association 72(3): 7203205080p7203205081-7203205080p7203205010.Badger, S., et al. (2016). ""It's not about treatment, it's how to improve your life": The lived experience of occupational therapy in palliative care." Palliative & Supportive Care 14(3): 225-231.
Kingston, G., et al. (2019). "Perceptions of acute hospital occupational therapy services: developing a new model of care for occupational therapy on acute medical wards." International Journal of Therapy & Rehabilitation 26(12): 1-9.
Marston, C., et al. (2015). "Patients' and caregivers' perceptions of occupational therapy and adapting to discharge home from an inpatient palliative care setting." British Journal of Occupational Therapy 78(11): 688-696.
Nissen, R. M., et al. (2018). "Persons With Dementia and Their Caregivers' Perceptions About Occupational Therapy and Telehealth: A Qualitative Descriptive Study." Home Healthcare Now 36(6): 369-378.
Thompson, S., et al. (2017). "Patients', Caregivers', and Parents' Perceptions of Occupational Therapists." American Journal of Occupational Therapy 71: 171-171.
Walsh, W. E. (2018). "Investigating Public Perception of Occupational Therapy: An Environmental Scan of Three Media Outlets." The American Journal Of Occupational Therapy: Official Publication Of The American Occupational Therapy Association 72(3): 7203205080p7203205081-7203205080p7203205010.
Health Research Classification System category Generic Health Relevance
Extra information provided by this PSP
Original uncertainty examples How do other stakeholders than occupational therapists - clients, multiagency colleagues, members of the public - describe occupational therapy and what is their understanding of occupational therapy's role? ~ Do people really understand how Occupational Therapy works ~ Do people (including colleagues, the general public, commissioners) understand fully what an OT does and if not, how can this be changed? ~ How is occupational therapy and how are occupational therapists perceived by other health professionals ~ Why is the profession less well known to the general public than other professions? ~ Why so many people still do not know or recognise the work we do despite efforts from RCOT and ourselves to promote the profession? ~ Why are we not always valued as much as our colleagues such as; physio’s/SALTs?
Submitted by Occupational therapists, Carers, Students, Services Users, Other
PSP information
PSP unique ID 0100
PSP name Occupational Therapy
Total number of uncertainties identified by this PSP. 66 (To see a full list of all uncertainties identified, please see the detailed spreadsheet held on the JLA website)
Date of priority setting workshop 27 July 2020