TY - JOUR
T1 - The Global Status of Occupational Therapy Workforce Research Worldwide
T2 - A Scoping Review
AU - Jesus, Tiago S.
AU - Mani, Karthik
AU - von Zweck, Claudia
AU - Bhattacharjya, Sutanuka
AU - Kamalakannan, Sureshkumar
AU - Ledgerd, Ritchard
N1 - Funding information: We thank the WFOT delegates and other member organization representatives who suggested papers for inclusion in this scoping review. Tiago S. Jesus completed this work under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR; 90ARHF0003). NIDILRR is a center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this publication do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, or HHS, and the reader should not assume endorsement by the U.S. federal government.
PY - 2023/6
Y1 - 2023/6
N2 - Importance: To fulfill their societal role, occupational therapists need to exist in sufficient supply, be equitably distributed, and meet competency standards. Occupational therapy workforce research is instrumental in reaching these aims, but its global status is unknown. Objective: To map the volume and nature (topics, methods, geography, funding) of occupational therapy workforce research worldwide. Data Sources: Six scientific databases (MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science Core Collection, PDQ-Evidence for Informed Health Policymaking, OTseeker), institutional websites, snowballing, and key informants. Study Selection and Data Collection: Research articles of any kind were included if they involved data regarding occupational therapists and addressed 1 of 10 predefined workforce research categories. Two reviewers were used throughout study selection. No language or time restrictions applied, but the synthesis excluded publications before 1996. A linear regression examined the publications' yearly growth. Findings: Seventy-eight studies met the inclusion criteria, 57 of which had been published since 1996. Although significant (p < .01), annual publication growth was weak (0.07 publications/yr). "Attractiveness and retention" was a common topic (27%), and cross-sectional surveys were frequent study designs (53%). Few studies used inferential statistics (39%), focused on resource-poor countries (11%), used standardized instruments (10%), or tested a hypothesis (2%). Only 30% reported funding; these studies had stronger methodology: 65% used inferential statistics, and just 6% used exploratory cross-sectional surveys. Conclusions and Relevance: Worldwide occupational therapy workforce research is scant and inequitably distributed, uses suboptimal methods, and is underfunded. Funded studies used stronger methods. Concerted efforts are needed to strengthen occupational therapy workforce research. What This Article Adds: This review highlights the opportunity to develop a stronger, evidence-based strategy for workforce development and professional advocacy.
AB - Importance: To fulfill their societal role, occupational therapists need to exist in sufficient supply, be equitably distributed, and meet competency standards. Occupational therapy workforce research is instrumental in reaching these aims, but its global status is unknown. Objective: To map the volume and nature (topics, methods, geography, funding) of occupational therapy workforce research worldwide. Data Sources: Six scientific databases (MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science Core Collection, PDQ-Evidence for Informed Health Policymaking, OTseeker), institutional websites, snowballing, and key informants. Study Selection and Data Collection: Research articles of any kind were included if they involved data regarding occupational therapists and addressed 1 of 10 predefined workforce research categories. Two reviewers were used throughout study selection. No language or time restrictions applied, but the synthesis excluded publications before 1996. A linear regression examined the publications' yearly growth. Findings: Seventy-eight studies met the inclusion criteria, 57 of which had been published since 1996. Although significant (p < .01), annual publication growth was weak (0.07 publications/yr). "Attractiveness and retention" was a common topic (27%), and cross-sectional surveys were frequent study designs (53%). Few studies used inferential statistics (39%), focused on resource-poor countries (11%), used standardized instruments (10%), or tested a hypothesis (2%). Only 30% reported funding; these studies had stronger methodology: 65% used inferential statistics, and just 6% used exploratory cross-sectional surveys. Conclusions and Relevance: Worldwide occupational therapy workforce research is scant and inequitably distributed, uses suboptimal methods, and is underfunded. Funded studies used stronger methods. Concerted efforts are needed to strengthen occupational therapy workforce research. What This Article Adds: This review highlights the opportunity to develop a stronger, evidence-based strategy for workforce development and professional advocacy.
KW - geographic area
KW - health
KW - occupational therapists
KW - rehabilitation
KW - evidence-based practice
KW - world health organization
KW - human resource management
KW - linear regression
KW - systematic reviews
KW - pain disability questionnaire
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85163898651&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.5014/ajot.2023.050089
DO - 10.5014/ajot.2023.050089
M3 - Review article
C2 - 37310749
SN - 0272-9490
VL - 77
JO - American Journal of Occupational Therapy
JF - American Journal of Occupational Therapy
IS - 3
M1 - 7703205080
ER -