Abstract
This poster highlights primary care providers’ (PCPs’) and OTPs’ receptiveness to including OTPs in primary care. Information about PCPs’ comfort level in delegating appointments to an OTP indicates a direction for gaining entry into primary care.
Primary Author and Speaker: Jacquelyn P. Nash
Contributing Authors: Debra Collette
Primary care providers (PCPs) are experiencing burnout from increased patient panels and higher productivity demands (Bodenheimer & Sinsky, 2014). Occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) are healthcare providers to whom PCPs can delegate specific patient appointments, such as appointments that address lifestyle management of chronic conditions, behavioral health, and health literacy, to assist with burnout and improve patient satisfaction. Although OTPs can play a vital role on the primary care team, barriers, including confusion about the occupational therapy (OT) scope of practice and concerns about reimbursement, have prevented OTPs from integrating into this setting (Halle et al., 2018). This poster highlights the receptiveness of OTPs and PCPs to including an OTP on the primary care team and PCPs’ comfort level in delegating patient appointments that do not require their diagnostic expertise to an OTP. The poster also addresses whether OTPs know about successful OT billing practices and reimbursement in primary care (Dahl-Popolizio et al., 2021). To gather data, PCPs and OTPs completed a survey, and subsequent interviews were conducted to support the surveys. There is an overall receptiveness from both PCPs and OTPs to including an OTP on the primary care team, and there are areas of need for an OTP in the primary care setting. PCPs recognize that OTPs can work with patients to address lifestyle management related to chronic conditions, health literacy, and behavioral health. PCPs are most comfortable delegating appointments dealing with chronic conditions to an OTP. PCPs would benefit from additional education to appreciate the full OTP scope of practice. The information contributes to the conversation about how OTPs can gain entry into primary care and directions for future studies of OT in primary care.
Bodenheimer, T., & Sinsky, C. (2014). From triple to quadruple aim: Care of the patient requires care of the provider. Annals of Family Medicine, 12(6), 573–576. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.1713
Dahl-Popolizio, S., Roman, G. A., Trembath, F., Doebbeling, B., & Concha-Chavez, A. (2021). Occupational therapy in primary care -- barriers, pivots, and outcomes: A pilot study. Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice. https://doi.org/10.46743/1540-580X/2021.1982
Halle, A. D., Mroz, T. M., Fogelberg, D. J., & Leland, N. E. (2018). Occupational therapy and primary care: Updates and trends. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 72(3), 7203090010p1–7203090010p6. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2018.723001