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How to Enable Participation until the End of Life? A Survey of German Occupational Therapists Working in Palliative Care
Background: In palliative care, the needs of people with life-limiting illnesses must be addressed with the support of a multidisciplinary team. Occupational therapy is a profession that focuses on activity and participation. In Germany, there are no surveys to date that demonstrate the work of o...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Philipps-Universität Marburg
2023
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | PDF Full Text |
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| Summary: | Background: In palliative care, the needs of people with life-limiting illnesses must be
addressed with the support of a multidisciplinary team. Occupational therapy is a profession that
focuses on activity and participation. In Germany, there are no surveys to date that demonstrate
the work of occupational therapists in palliative care and which problems can occur in this field.
Aim: The aim of this study is to describe the work and problems of occupational therapists in
German palliative care. Design: The survey consists of 17 questions and could be conducted anonymously.
Descriptive statistics and a thematic analysis of the free text responses were used to analyze
data. Setting/participants: Respondents were German occupational therapists who are members of
the “German Association of Occupational Therapy”. Results: A total of 281 valid responses were
evaluated, of which 120 respondents work in the context of palliative care. Most of them provide
needs-based therapies (74%), train relatives (69%), or help patients with positioning (69%) or relaxation
therapy (66%). Four themes were developed in the free text responses that describe problems in
the utilization of occupational therapy in palliative care. Conclusions: The evaluation shows that
occupational therapy in palliative care offers a variety of possible applications and approaches. The
findings urgently need to be implemented in daily practice to improve the status of occupational
therapists. This requires appropriate billing modalities and clear guidelines. There is still a significant
need for research and training in this area. |
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| Item Description: | Gefördert durch den Open-Access-Publikationsfonds der UB Marburg. |
| DOI: | 10.3390/jcm12165257 |