Occupational therapists' experiences of improvement work: a journey towards sustainable evidence-based practice

The aim of this qualitative descriptive study was to describe occupational therapists' experiences of participating in long-term improvement work based on the Occupational Therapy Intervention Process Model.

Data were collected by focus groups interviewed on two occasions (2006 and 2011). Nineteen occupational therapists participated on each occasion. The data obtained were analysed using a qualitative content analysis.

The long-term improvement work was experienced as a journey towards sustainable and evidence-based occupational therapy practice. The journey, guided by the Occupational Therapy Intervention Process Model, led to increased client-centred and occupation-focused practice. The long journey of change involved three intertwined themes. The first theme describes how the occupational therapists transformed their thoughts and actions on an individual and group level. The second theme describes how they dealt with conflicting feelings and faced the duality of change. The third theme describes a shared professional culture, including confidence, clarity, and inter-professional community.

The study shows how the collective use of an occupational therapy model of practice can lead to an integration of evidence-based knowledge that has long-lasting achievements in practice.