We became OTs because we saw a career where we could truly partner with our patients and approach health from a holistic lens.  Unfortunately, the current healthcare systems we work in can make it difficult to provide the holistic, collaborative care we dreamed of. Instead our sessions can feel dictated by ever changing legislation, insurance regulations, and productivity expectations.  Luckily, the types of client/OT partnerships that have been foundational to our profession for over a century are gaining new attention throughout the medical community—and new opportunities are aris ..read more

We can all probably agree that the most important element in providing quality occupational therapy is a thorough evaluation. And, as with in-person evals, one of the first considerations for any telehealth OT eval should be which assessment(s) you use.  This post will walk you through considerations for choosing the right telehealth assessments—and it will provide some examples of ones that have proven effective in the online setting.  Disclaimer/update on the ever-evolving nature of telehealth OT  Considering the relatively recent emergence (and popularity) of telehealth reha ..read more

To my fellow OT professionals: Our mission is to think holistically about the health of our patients, so we can guide them through the healing process.  On some level, we are accustomed to thinking about how environments and societal factors impact patients’ overall health. But, when it comes to understanding and confronting how racism and racial injustices are affecting our patients, we have much work to do. The deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor (along with many other people of color) have continued to underscore the reality that we have a societal sickness that ..read more

As occupational therapy professionals our hearts are with our healthcare colleagues who are being called into unprecedented situations by the coronavirus pandemic. Occupational therapists who work in schools, early intervention, outpatient and home health settings find themselves in a position where the coronavirus situation is calling us turn to tele-health. But, fortunately, the use of tele-health as a system for OT delivery is not unprecedented. In fact telehealth OT has been being researched for years. And, the research we have been able to read is promising. Telehealth OT is a shift fo ..read more

In light of the threat posed by the novel coronavirus , many insurers, states, and even the federal government are looking at expanding telehealth provision. But, the information seems hard to track right now, particularly in understanding what applies to OT. The members of the OT Potential Club have been working on pulling together legislative/reimbursement updates, and helping therapists mobilize when key votes come up. Our role as occupational therapy professionals in helping people stay as healthy as possible is so critical right now. And, it is definitely time to mobilize to make sure pat ..read more

It is easy to fall into a rut when evaluating patients. We are inclined to use the same OT assessments we’ve used for years, or simply defer to using whatever our facility has on hand. But, the reality is that there are more assessments out there than we realize. There are many that are disease specific—and quite a few of them approach the assessment process from different angles (top-down, bottom-up, questionnaire style, etc.). Some of these assessments might even be better (meaning more evidence-based) than the ones you’ve been using! Most OTs have not been exposed to the vast majority of th ..read more

We’re living in conflicted times as OTs. On one hand, we’re having what some would call a moment. In fact, I’d call it more than a moment!  Based on the most influential research coming out that’s related to our profession, we are seeing that many of our core principles are, in fact, evidence-backed, financially viable, and improving the lives of our patients. That’s why writing this article had me giddy at times; I found myself SO excited for what is ahead in our profession, and how we can use the latest findings to level-up our care for our patients.  But, at the same time, I honestly have t ..read more

If you are drawn to the healthcare field—and you’re interested in obtaining a master’s level education—you may find yourself looking at two different routes: occupational therapist (OT) versus physician assistant (PA).  There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but to help you weigh this decision, we will cover: General similarities between OT and PA Key differences between the two careers Differences in schooling Differences in salary Whether it’s worth making a transition from OT to PA As an OT, I am biased toward the rehabilitation field :-) I also have more knowledge about the world of rehab ..read more

I’m a huge fan of occupational therapy research. One of the reasons I’ve become such a research nerd is I believe that consuming primary research is one of the best ways to develop your clinical reasoning skills as an OT practitioner.  If you’re a fellow research enthusiast, I have some great news for you...reading journal articles can score you some continuing education unit (CEU) credits in some states! Reading journal articles can also count toward your professional development units (PDUs) for your NBCOT renewal, which we will cover below.  These continuing education activities are specifi ..read more

Occupational therapy practitioners turn to evidence-based practice (EBP) for many reasons.  We look for answers, treatment recommendations, and affirmation that we’re truly providing the best possible care to our clients.  But, the deeper we dig into the world of evidence-based practice, the more nuanced (and hopefully fun) it becomes.  Once you start immersing yourself in the world of EBP, you will quickly find that there are several ways of conceptualizing the levels of evidence—and, depending on your purpose and setting, you might find a certain model to be the most helpful.  In this articl ..read more