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I’ve been reading and thinking so much as I’m writing up the findings of this case study (N E A R L Y T H E R E ! ! !) about the worth with which we consider occupational performance issues. As OT’s, occupational performance issues define our profession, our clinical practice, and how we measure the outcomes, value, worth and place of our therapeutic role. My clinical practice work is outside of maternal health at the moment, and I’m finding it interesting to reflect on how my clinical assessment and intervention processes might be different to working in perinatal health. My conclusion is: They’re not.
As OT’s, when we interview people about what their occupational interests, goals, strengths and challenges, we translate this into occupational performance issues that we will address in our practice, or refer on to someone else. We’re well trained, practice within our scope and consider evidence-based practice principles. The interpretation process is streamlined and simple. But how are we translating our knowledge and the benefits for clients accessing OT’s into measurable outcomes? Do we choose OT specific forms, or do we opt for something more generic to improve the transparency of outcomes from our clinical interventions? Measuring the benefits of OT therapeutic interventions for service users is so important for the future growth of our profession. We know our worth, but we need to demonstrate our value.
There’s such a wonderful groundswell of global support building for women during pregnancy, birth and postpartum periods, with growing recognition of the impact life engagement challenges have on health and outcomes for women and children. These issues matter, but who’s helping women to do the things they need to do? I keep hearing about the importance of self-care for new mums, and I can’t help but wonder “how?” and “when?”. As OT’s, we all know the value of self-care. Women absolutely need to take time to practice more self-care during perinatal stages. But how are they going to achieve it? Who is going to support them to find time, motivation, resources and opportunity to practice self-care on a regular basis? There are so many occupational performance challenges women are faced with, and they need support to work out goals and strategies to achieve them. Women need OT’s during perinatal transitions.
Supporting the occupational performance needs of maternal populations during perinatal stages need not be about ‘gap filling’. Some women are genuinely struggling with issues during perinatal transitions that are impacting on their capacity for occupational engagement. Full scope of practice sees OT’s uniquely positioned to offer such a broad range of services. I look forward to a future where OT’s have found their place in perinatal health teams, confidently recognising and addressing the occupational performance issues of women during perinatal transitions. No other professions support occupational performance issues and needs like OT’s do, and there are women who really need our support. We need to own it.
Research & evidence-based practice for OTs in perinatal health, motherhood, and matrescence 