Factors related to the intensity of occupational therapy utilization in a geriatric chronic care setting

There is very little known about the intensity of occupational therapy service provision in relation to client characteristics of a geriatric chronic care population. A model was utilized to study demographic and clinical factors associated with the intensity of occupational therapy utilization.

A retrospective correlational design was carried out using secondary analysis of occupational therapy workload data merged with selected variables from the Minimum Data Set (MDS) at Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, Toronto, Ontario and included a sample of 168 clients receiving occupational therapy. The outcome measure used was the total number of minutes of occupational therapy service provided.

Having a pressure relieving device for the chair and being active more than one third of waking hours were significantly associated with the intensity of occupational therapy utilization. The clients received a greater amount of time in indirect therapy compared with the amount of time which they received in direct care.

The method used to examine occupational therapy service utilization developed in this research facilitates the understanding of occupational therapy resource use based on client characteristics.