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

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.