Healthcare reform and occupational therapy

Health Care Reform and Occupational Therapy

Because occupational therapy is such an integral part of health care, it is logical that any health care reform would also affect this profession. However, occupational therapy has historically been all but ignored by health care legislation, leaving professionals in the field obliged to frequently make their own interpretations of laws that appear relevant to them. With the newest Health Care Reform Act, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PL 111 -- 148), a new era has arrived for many professionals in the field, as well as for the public.

The new act is President Obama's attempt to make all forms of health care more affordable and accessible to all citizens. This has significant financial and work load implications for health care professionals. During the first phases of implementation, for example, it is expected that care giving facilities such as hospitals will see an influx of patients. These patients will have to be managed more efficiently in less time than the case was before. Occupational therapy can play a significant role in this. (SG2 Report, 2010, p. 7).

Occupational therapists are, for example, often required to provide on-site or home services to patients. With the increasing numbers of patients in hospitals, physicians in these settings may then refer more patients to other care providers, including occupational therapists. When hospital care is non-essential, occupational therapists might then also see an increase in patients who require at-home assistance.

For all care providers, the SG2 Report (2010, p. 7) also states that an increasing focus on excellent it systems will be necessary to handle the increase in patients and to refer them to the relevant specialist care workers. In this way, a more integrated network may be built among hospitals, individual physicians, occupational therapists, and other care providers. In this way, quality care can be assured within a fraction of the time it would require without these integrated communication systems. Overall, this will benefit not only the public, but also care providers in terms of reputation and excellence of integrated services.

The SG2 report (2010, p. 9) also mentions academic medical centers (AMCs), which will have enter into affiliation agreements in order to comply with the reformed care laws. This will furthermore mean more integrated physician networks and it integration, as mentioned above.

Two further important factors are mentioned by Moyers (2010). She notes that the inclusive nature of health care definitions for occupational therapists is a significant step forward in terms of recognizing the profession as a legitimate health care service. Occupational therapy, for example, is specifically included in the "Innovations in the Health Care Workforce" section of the new legislation. This is significant, because occupational therapists will now be eligible for state workforce grants, slots on the national commission on workforce, and other similar privileges enjoyed by other health care providers.

Other items, excluded from the bill, is the second item the author mentions. She notes that one of these amendments would have allowed physical therapists direct access to rural area patients without the prescription of a physician. This would have excluded occupational therapists. However, lobbying by AOTA ensured that occupational therapists were included in the amendment.