Occupational Therapy: Job Analysis of Tasks of Certified Assistants and Registered Therapists

Abstract

For developing work-study training curricula for Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants and Occupational Therapists, Registered in four state facilities, a questionnaire investigated importance, time allocation, and delegability of 17 activities of occupational therapy, and 5 treatment areas. Time sampling at one facility confirmed time-allocation findings from questionnaires. Main findings and conclusions were: (a) treatment occupied most time and in-service study and evaluating staff least, (b) clerical activities were least important, (c) relatively important treatment areas were also relatively delegable, (d) job-activity training need not reflect the patient population, (e) trainees may undertake important job activities early in training.