Advocating Occupational Therapy Services to Medical Providers

Since the early 2000s, there has been an increasing concern about medical errors, patient safety, and the quality of healthcare delivery in the U.S. This highlights the need for health professionals to work effectively in teams (NEXUSIPE 2023). Similarly, operational and reimbursement structures can affect collaboration and communication, leading to segregated healthcare provision (Slater & Cusick 2019). Occupational therapy (OT) services are underutilized due to a lack of understanding of the scope of practice and referral process by medical providers. To address this, a national survey was conducted to assess the need for a continuing education course for medical providers on occupational therapy’s scope of practice. The survey used a cross-sectional mixed methods design and consisted of a 15-question online electronic format. Surveys were emailed to providers with responses (N&#3f 1,748) from physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and physical therapists across 36 states.