A proposed curriculum and strategies for improving occupational therapists' report writing, court performance and expert opinion on work capacity

Annie Mccluskey, Sue Lukersmith

Research output: Contribution to journalComment/debatepeer-review

Abstract

Research objective: To identify the education and training needs of occupational therapists who provide expert opinion on work capacity, and to develop strategies and recommendations to address these needs. Design: Grounded theory. Setting: Community. Primarily private sector and Australian-based. Participants: A total of 31 participants were recruited (19 occupational therapists, six medical specialists and six lawyers) via professional association websites, legal documents, and personal contacts. A balance of participants working for plaintiff and defendant parties were included, with most based in Queensland, Australia (n = 11). Others worked elsewhere in Australia (n = 6) or overseas (n = 2). Most of the occupational therapists worked full time (n = 17), as principal therapist in a private practice (n= 13) and had a mean of 8.2 years of medico legal experience. Five occupational therapists specialised in a particular condition (for example, spinal cord or traumatic brain injury) or assessment (for example, driving). The remaining 14 therapists assessed work capacity of individuals with various diagnoses.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)144-145
Number of pages2
JournalAustralian Occupational Therapy Journal
Volume55
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2008
Externally publishedYes

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