Occupational Therapy
About this PSP
The Occupational Therapy PSP was launched in 2019 to bring together people with experience of accessing occupational therapy services, their carers, occupational therapists and others working in health and social care to shape the future of occupational therapy research. The PSP was led by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT).
The Occupational Therapy PSP Top 10 was published in July 2020.
Watch Dr Jo Watson, Assistant Director - Education and Research, Royal College of Occupational Therapists, talk about why these priorities are so important for setting the future direction of research for occupational therapy in the UK.
See news from this PSP: January 2020, May 2020, February 2021
Key documents
Occupational Therapy PSP Protocol
Occupational Therapy PSP Terms of Reference
Occupational Therapy PSP Engagement Summary
Occupational Therapy PSP Question Verification Form
Occupational Therapy PSP - Pre-recorded online workshop presentation about the JLA and the workshop
Occupational Therapy PSP - Pre-recorded online workshop presentation about the PSP
Top 10 Priorities
- How does occupational therapy make a difference and have impact on everyday lives?
- How can occupational therapists ensure that person-centred practice is central to how they work?
- How can occupational therapists work more effectively with the family and carers of people who access services?
- What are the long-term benefits of occupational therapy intervention?
- What are the benefits or impact of occupational therapy in primary care settings? (e.g. services delivered by your local general practice surgery, community pharmacy, dental and optometry (eye health) services)
- How can occupational therapy services be more inclusive of both mental and physical health?
- What is the role of occupational therapy in supporting self-management? (e.g. helping people with illness to manage their health on a day-to-day basis)
- What is the role or impact of occupational therapy in reducing hospital admissions?
- How can occupational therapists work most effectively with other professionals to improve outcomes for people who access services? (e.g. multi-disciplinary teams, commissioners, community agencies)
- What is the cost-effectiveness of occupational therapy services?
The following questions were also discussed and put in order of priority at the workshop:
- How does the amount of occupational therapy received affect outcomes for people who access services?
- What is the role of occupational therapy in addressing social, political and environmental issues at a societal level to address well-being and participation?
- What is the effectiveness of occupational therapy for mental health?
- How can occupational therapists work effectively with digital technology to enhance their interventions and lives of people who access services? (e.g. using smart devices to manage health and illness)
- How does assistive technology, compensatory equipment and housing adaptations provided through occupational therapy impact on the lives of people who access services?
- What is the value of occupation as an intervention and how does effectiveness vary with the way it is used? (e.g. 'occupation-focused' interventions based on understanding a person, their environment and the meaningful occupations in their life, or 'occupation-based' interventions in which doing a meaningful occupation forms the focus)
- What is the nature of the relationship between occupation and health and well-being?
- What do other people (including healthcare professionals and other colleagues occupational therapists might work with, people who access services and their families and carers), think about the role of occupational therapy?
Document downloads
For full details of all of the questions identified by this PSP, please see the document below.