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Achieving intersubjective understanding: examples from an occupational therapy treatment session
1Occupational Therapy Department, School of Health and Human Services, University of New Hampshire, Durham 03824-3563.
Summary
Occupational therapists balance treatment with patient understanding by navigating professional power dynamics. Enhancing interactive skills and respecting patient values are key to effective care.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Occupational Therapy
Background:
- Occupational therapists must integrate treatment techniques with patients' life experiences.
- This paper examines the intersection of professional power and patient understanding through sociological lenses.
Observation:
- Analyzes how occupational therapists engage with patients' life-worlds during treatment sessions.
- Explores the simultaneous control and management of the therapeutic process by practitioners.
Findings:
- Knowledge schemata and shifting footings are central to understanding patient interactions.
- Achieving a balance between professional power and patient empathy is crucial.
Implications:
- Occupational therapy education should emphasize patient values and beliefs.
- Clinical supervision can foster better interactive skills for improved patient rapport.