Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• VOGEL, KIMBERLY A

Titel

A CHARACTERISTIC ANALYSIS OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY AND THE ROLE OF ITS PRACTITIONERS AS PERCEIVED BY PRACTITIONERS, EDUCATORS, AND STUDENTS

Ort / Verlag

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses

Erscheinungsjahr

1986

Quelle

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• This research focused on issues fundamental to the philosophy and practice of occupational therapy. The occupational therapy literature suggested both a need for research in these areas as well as for hypotheses concerning the role of the practitioner which could be tested. A 19-item Likert scale was designed by the investigator to yield information concerning subjects' attitudes related to therapist role characteristics, occupational therapy treatment, and the profession. A seven-item demographic data form provided information concerning subjects' respondent type, gender, age, highest level of education, entry-level of occupational therapy education, number of years of clinical or educational practice, and specialty interest section practice. The two instruments were mailed to 716 subjects. The names of the subjects were randomly selected by a computer through the AOTA direct mail service. The final sample included 253 practitioners, 46 educators, and 49 students. A factor analysis and four discriminant analyses were performed on the data. Additional statistical tests included one-way ANOVA's, Student-Newman-Keuls tests, and t-tests. Results of this study indicated that: (1) Issues regarding the unique philosophical base and the distinct and specialized identity of the profession are important areas of concern for members and students of the profession of occupational therapy. (2) A relationship exists between the role (student, practitioner, educator) one fulfills and the attitudes one holds towards various professional issues. (3) Areas of agreement among practitioners, educators, and students include: (a) OT services should be covered by third party payment in medical insurance policies. (b) OTs should be skilled in analyzing activities to adapt their use for evaluation and treatment purposes. (c) In the future, OT should not continue to focus only on remedial treatment in hospitals as it has in the past. (4) Educators' attitudes toward occupational therapy treatment modalities requiring purposeful activities are more strongly held than either practitioners' or students' attitudes. (5) Educators and students feel very strongly about the importance of therapeutic crafts in occupational therapy treatment. (6) Students and practitioners agree more than educators that certain physical therapy modalities are appropriately used in occupational therapy treatment. (7) Practitioners and educators disagree with the notion that occupational therapists should be all things to all people while some students mildly support this idea. It is hoped that the American Occupational Therapy Association leaders can utilize the information contained in this study to gain insight into membership's viewpoints. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)