Practitioner Perspectives on Occupation-Based Practice Across Varied Settings

Abstract

Occupation-based practice (OBP) is considered a cornerstone of occupational therapy practice. However, there is no consensus-based definition of OBP, let alone agreement on its mediators across practice settings. To describe how OBP is currently conceptualized and enacted across different practice settings, a descriptive qualitative approach of focus groups and elicitation of visual data (e.g., photographs, video recordings) was used with 65 participants. Multiple rounds of qualitative data analysis were used to identify codes and themes. Three themes were identified: (a) contextual factors of OBP, (b) client status, and (c) temporal characteristics of OBP. OBP is influenced by institutional, historical, and temporal aspects of practice settings, with further exploration needed across different practice settings and occupational therapy pedagogy styles. Considering the influence of contextual aspects may support occupational therapy practitioners and researchers’ efforts to support their advocacy for occupation as a foundational concept in the profession.

Plain Language Summary

Study on How Occupational Therapy Practitioners Across Different Health Care Settings Use Occupation in Their Clinical Work

Occupational therapy practitioners rely on the use of occupation in their interventions to achieve desired outcomes. However, there is no universally agreed definition of occupation-based practice (OBP) and what it involves. This study explored how 65 occupational therapy practitioners across six different practice settings in the United States defined and enacted OBP in their respective practice settings. Researchers conducted 12 focus groups (two focus groups for each practice setting) and asked participants to take photographs of images on what they thought represented OBP in their practice setting. Visual and focus-group data were first analyzed individually by each researcher, then on a group basis through discussions. Study findings illustrated the importance of contextual factors, the client’s status, and temporality in how occupational therapy practitioners defined and carried out OBP. Thinking more about these aspects of OBP may help practitioners and researchers advocate for its importance in health care.