Advocating for the advocate: a toolkit for becoming a better advocate for OT in acute care
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
There is a persistent lack of awareness regarding the value of occupational therapy (OT) and scope of practice in the acute care hospital. There is minimal exposure to OT during medical school education and a lack of understanding amongst practicing physicians regarding the role of OT in healthcare. There is also insufficient knowledge amongst other healthcare professionals and referring providers who may be unaware of the diverse services and potential role of OT as a resource for addressing the specialized needs of their clients. Furthermore, there is limited public awareness and understanding, as well as misperceptions, regarding OT in the community, giving rise to decreased consumer access and unmet needs.
Advocating for the Advocate: A Toolkit for Becoming a Better Advocate for Occupational Therapy in Acute Care is an educational program that is designed to improve the awareness regarding OT value and scope of practice in the acute care hospital by providing advocacy skills training to occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) working in this setting. The toolkit is grounded in theories and the profession’s philosophical foundation, based on current evidence, and reinforced by a program evaluation research plan. Advocating for the Advocate offers an innovative approach to build upon the existing capacity and knowledge of OTPs and support further skill development through a multimodal delivery of content, taking into account the distinct experiences, values, and perspectives of each participant and proposes to change mindset and transform behavior.