Occupational Therapy Domestic Needs Assessment: Lawyer Perspectives

Occupational therapists are experts in understanding the impact an injury has on a claimant's capacity to perform their pre-injury level of domestic activities. Lawyers use this information when litigating claims for domestic assistance support. This is the first study exploring lawyers' experiences with occupational therapy domestic assistance reports using an online survey. The online survey was completed by 20 lawyers who practise in New South Wales, Australia. Results indicated occupational therapy reports were used to determine the amount of gratuitous domestic care the claimant received, the impact injury has on daily function and tasks requiring assistance. Lawyers used therapists with medico-legal experience although the timeframe for receiving the report was also influential. A high-quality report uses supportive evidence linking function and recommendations for care. Therapists require a clear understanding of the legislation and transparent reasoning while lawyers need to provide sufficient information to assist therapists' conclusions.