Focal Points and Relationships: A Study of Clinical Reasoning

Abstract

This article reports on a single case study of an occupational therapist working in a plastic surgery unit at an Australian public hospital. A phenomenological approach was used to explore the therapist's clinical reasoning in depth. Data were gathered over a 3–week period through semi-structured interviews with the informant and through participant observation of therapy sessions with patients and associated activities engaged in by the informant. The resulting narrative data were analysed inductively. The focus of this discussion is on the aspects of personal interactions that influence clinical reasoning. The article examines how such constructs as power, responsibility, caring and competence combine to influence clinical reasoning.