Occupational therapy and emergency departments: A critical review of the literature

Abstract

Introduction Occupational therapy is emerging as a profession within the context of emergency care, specifically within emergency departments. Emerging professional practice should be underpinned by an evidence base supported by research. As such, this critical review examines, analyses and summarises published and unpublished research concerning occupational therapy in Emergency Departments in order to support emerging practice. Method Research evidence was sought from database platforms, the Internet and grey sources by searching using key words and search terms. Critical analysis of each piece of evidence was undertaken and the analyses were synthesised into a critical review of the literature. Results Twenty-three potentially relevant papers were found, 16 met the criteria for further inclusion and seven were critically analysed. The quality of the papers varied and often lacked sufficient methodological detail for robust review. Although not all study sample sizes were small, variable methodological quality means findings can only be taken into professional practice with caution. Conclusion Based on current evidence, there can only be a limited understanding of occupational therapy, including practice models and efficacy, within emergency departments at this time. There is a need for large-scale, well-designed research studies of occupational therapy within emergency departments.