Occupational Therapy and Information Technology: One Decade on

Abstract

A brief historical introduction outlines the development of computer use in occupational therapy in the United Kingdom, over a decade from its embryonic beginnings at the closure of the governmental technology awareness initiative in March 1985. In an attempt to study the changing pattern of usage, a research project is detailed in which finalist occupational therapy students from Liverpool, between 1985 and 1995, were asked to give their observations of computer use during fieldwork placements. The results indicated a shift towards computer time being devoted to administration, with maximum therapeutic use being seen in specialist centres. The implications for future student education are discussed.