Advancing ergonomic expertise in occupational therapists: using an online course to facilitate knowledge acquisition and application of ergonomics in daily practice

Abstract

Health promotion, prevention of disease and disability, and enhancing participation in meaningful life activities are areas that occupational therapists (OT) can contribute to at the individual, organizational and population levels (AOTA, 2008; Scaffa, Van Slyke & Brownson, 2008). OTs that are skilled in ergonomic assessment and evidence-based ergonomic strategies have potential to enhance the profession's capacity to address these important areas of practice and better meet the occupation-based ergonomic needs of our clients. Despite the high degree of compatibility between OT and ergonomics, there is a suspected gap between the availability of occupational therapists in a variety of practice areas with identifiable advanced ergonomic skills and the occupation-based ergonomic needs of consumers. To reduce this gap, a 7-week online course, Ergonomics for Occupational Therapists for post-professional occupational therapists was developed. The course considers changes and recent calls to action in the profession such as the adoption ofthe American Occupational Therapy Association's Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (2nd edition), the focus on evidence-based practice and collaboration, and the increasing interest in and growth of online education. The course content also integrates current evidence from occupational therapy and ergonomics and considers the learning and professional needs of post-professional OTs. The course will be delivered online because it is an effective educational method that produces equal or superior learning outcomes as compared to face-to-face learning environments (Allen & Seaman, 2010); it eliminates the need to travel, it improves access to and communication with experts and colleagues, and it assists in the translation of information into practice. Careful attention to the design and implementation of this online course is expected to provide a satisfying student experience and enhance the acquisition and application of ergonomic knowledge in OT practice.