Including the Consumer and Environment in Occupational Therapy Treatment Planning

Abstract

This study was designed to examine the extent to which occupational therapists include the consumer and the environment in treatment planning. Twenty-nine registered occupational therapists who subscribe to the Mental Health Specialty Interest Section or the Physical Disabilities Specialty Interest Section completed treatment plans based on a single case study. The treatment plans were analyzed based on goal setting and treatment activities. Data indicated therapists frequently identified goals not addressed by the consumer and demonstrated limited consideration of the context in the selection of treatment activities. Therapists identified as many short-term goals not related to the consumer's stated goal as they identified goals that were related to the consumer's goal. T-test comparisons indicated that therapists significantly more often selected simulated over real activities and activities aimed at changing the person over activities aimed at changing the environment. These preliminary results from a small, self-selected sample suggest that current occupational therapy treatment planning is not consistent with consumer-oriented practice models.