Professional Reasoning in Occupational Therapy: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Occupational Therapy
• Professional Reasoning
• Health Sciences Research

Background:

• Professional reasoning is crucial for occupational therapists to plan, execute, and evaluate client care effectively.
• Understanding the historical development and current state of research in this area is vital for advancing practice.
• This study addresses the need to map the scientific literature on professional reasoning in occupational therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and describe the historical development of research on professional reasoning in occupational therapy from 1982 to 2017.
• To analyze the nature and volume of the scientific literature on this topic.
• To assess the current evidence base for professional reasoning in occupational therapy.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review was employed to conduct a historical mapping of research.
• The review followed PRISMA guidelines, involving five distinct stages.
• A comprehensive search yielded 303 relevant references for analysis.

Main Results:

• Analysis covered publication trends, journals, countries, authors, and research themes.
• Historical trends in professional reasoning research since 1982 were identified.
• Methodological aspects of the research were statistically analyzed.

Conclusions:

• Research on professional reasoning in occupational therapy is primarily empirical, with a predominance of qualitative studies.
• Key research areas include specific practice fields, undergraduate education, and theoretical underpinnings.
• Three distinct historical phases in research, sharing common objectives and methods, were identified.