Integrated care solutions
Megan’s care plans maintain a focus on the client as the primary stakeholder. Within a coordinated care approach, occupational therapy can work to support and bolster another clinician’s treatment plan and improve outcomes. Here are some examples:
Primary care - Whether you’re prescribing medications or self-care practices, OT can help your patient to better understand, implement, and follow through with your prescription. Increase your patient’s safety and plan-adherence while decreasing emergencies and hospitalizations.
Counseling & Psychology – When addressing changes in licit or illicit substance use, the OT aids in habit change through participation in and analysis of activities that are likely impacted by the change, such as social engagement, or sleep, work and waking routines — we can also explore new fulfilling ways to spend time.
Physical therapy - The OT can help incorporate your home exercise program (HEP) into the client’s daily routine, even and especially when facing challenges like dementia or depression — when psychosocial or environmental factors present risks or barriers, the OT is your go-to problem solver.
Nursing - Self management practices such as those involved in diabetes care are important in preventing and managing chronic conditions. The OT’s job is not only to teach but also to develop visual and time-based strategies that help clients maintain new habits and routines.
Social work - Gain valuable insight into your client’s everyday lifestyle patterns by accessing the OT’s perspective. When the OT evaluates your client they learn about personal motivations, practices and preferences that can help in identifying realistic and relevant resources.
Specialized medicine - If you’ve prescribed high risk medications, performed an amputation, spinal fusion, or craniotomy, placed an intrathecal pump, DBS or PEG, ordered specialized equipment, prosthetics or orthotics, you’ll want an OT who can help your patient learn and access their support system and overcome challenges to live their best life.
Speech therapy - OT involvement can potentially exponentially increase the likelihood that your client makes desired changes to their routines, whether they’re complicated changes to food consistency or as seemingly simple as performing daily oral motor exercises.
USC primary care doctor Brian Prestwich, MD, illustrates the need for OT:
“The patient is functioning well enough and her low-grade hallucinations are not an immediate threat to her or others. So, medically, I understand how to take care of her. I know how to treat her depression and her hallucinations. But I have no idea how to get the chaotic life around her to calm down so she can execute a treatment plan.” That’s when he turns to OT.
Waite, A. (2014). Prime Models: Showcasing Occupational Therapy’s Role on Primary Care Teams. OT Practice 19(7), 8–10, 19.
