Wheelchair service provision education in Canadian occupational therapy programs

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Science
• Occupational Therapy Education
• Assistive Technology

Background:

• Occupational therapists are crucial in Canadian wheelchair service provision.
• Entry-level education gaps in wheelchair services impact service delivery.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) outlines an 8-step wheelchair service provision process.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe current wheelchair service provision education in Canadian occupational therapy programs.
• To map this education against the WHO's 8-step process.
• To identify areas for improvement in occupational therapy curricula.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, cross-sectional online survey design was employed.
• Educators from all accredited Canadian occupational therapy programs were recruited.
• Survey data was analyzed and mapped to the WHO 8-step wheelchair service provision process.

Main Results:

• Twenty-nine educators from 14 Canadian occupational therapy programs participated.
• All programs covered at least 4 WHO steps; only 5 covered all 8.
• Assessment and Prescription steps were universally covered; others varied in coverage.
• Pedagogic approaches, time allocation, and evaluation methods differed significantly.

Conclusions:

• Canadian occupational therapy programs show variability in covering the WHO 8-step wheelchair service process.
• Gaps exist in comprehensive wheelchair service education, particularly in specific steps.
• This study provides a baseline for enhancing entry-level occupational therapy education in wheelchair services to promote best practices.