Why OT in primary care?

     Primary care has been identified as a critical aspect to improving health outcomes and reducing overall healthcare expenditures in the United States (US DHHS, 2019). With changes to the US healthcare system including the adoption of the Affordable Care Act, there is a shift in primary care to include an interdisciplinary team that focuses on value and outcomes (Roberts et al., 2014). Occupational therapy in primary care has been an emerging practice area for many years, however there is a lack of clarity regarding the role and benefits and thus has not readily been integrated in primary care in the US (Halle et al., 2017). Occupational therapists provide an expertise that could complement the skills of other primary care team members to better serve the complex needs of PACE participants. 

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What does an OT offer?

     Occupational therapists receive training in physical dysfunction and disease, psychiatric illness and behavioral health, cognitive dysfunction, and development and aging (AOTA, 2014; Dahl-Popolizio et al., 2016). Occupational therapists treat patients throughout the lifespan and are able to assess and provide intervention for physical, cognitive, and psychosocial deficits. They are uniquely trained and qualified to identify barriers to health and wellness, and create meaningful client-centered interventions to address these barriers. (Dahl-Popolizia et al., 2016). Among a number of other interventions, occupational therapists can help patients establish healthier roles and routines, address chronic disease management, provide mental and behavioral health management, train caregivers, and address the limitations of the environment (Roberts et al., 2014).

     The occupational therapist brings an additional skillset and training that would improve the quality of care provided, improve participant health outcomes, help control costs, and help increase efficiency of care in the primary care clinic.

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What is on this site?

     This website includes an initial set of practice guidelines designed for the occupational therapist working with older adults in a primary care setting. The primary care setting discussed here is the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), however information can be applicable to community primary care settings as well. In PACE, patients and clients are referred to as "participants". This site is not meant to be an exhaustive review of the benefits and role of OT in primary care, but rather is a starting place to look at how theory and evidence-based practice supports better health outcomes in this setting and helps clarify the role of OT in primary care.