Examining what healthcare professionals know about occupational therapy: reflections on interprofessional practice and education

Background/Aims Healthcare professionals' knowledge regarding the field of occupational therapy is essential for interdisciplinary collaboration and the delivery of quality healthcare. However, studies that have investigated how much healthcare professionals know about occupational therapy in the United States are lacking. The aim of this study was to examine the level of knowledge, common misconceptions and sources of knowledge regarding occupational therapy among healthcare professionals in the United States, and to examine whether the field of practice or study and years of experience influences how much healthcare professionals know about occupational therapy. Methods A cross-sectional survey design was used in this study. At the time of data collection, participants were required to be adults currently working or studying in any field of healthcare in the United States, except occupational therapy. An Arabic questionnaire addressing the knowledge base about occupational therapy was cross-culturally adapted into English. Descriptive and comparative methods of data analysis were used. The two-way analysis of variance and Tukey's post hoc tests were used to compare the scores as classified by field and years of experience. The reliability and the validity of the questionnaire were determined by calculating the values of Cronbach's alpha and Pearson's correlation coefficients. Results A total of 202 healthcare professionals participated in this study. The used questionnaire is a reliable and a valid measure of knowledge about occupational therapy as demonstrated by the value of Cronbach's alpha (0.74), and the values of Pearson's r, which were more than the critical value of r(200)=0.138, P<0.05. There were significant differences in the scores attributed to the field of work/study (P<0.05) but not to years of experience (P=0.10). Participants from the medical field scored the highest, followed by those from the rehabilitation field and the nursing field. Conclusions There was a general acknowledgment of the value of occupational therapy in the provision of quality healthcare, yet there were still misconceptions and confusions concerning the role of occupational therapists. Implications for practice Occupational therapists in the United States need to actively market their profession to make it visible. They need to focus on establishing and building interprofessional channels of communication and forms of work with other healthcare professionals. The curricula of healthcare disciplines need to integrate principles and methods of interprofessional education.