Occupational therapy practitioners' experiences with interprofessional collaborative practice

Although occupational therapists engage as part of interprofessional healthcare teams, explicit investigation into their experiences of interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) has not been explored. This study evaluated occupational therapists in the United States experiences of IPCP with additional inquiry into which healthcare professionals occupational therapy practitioners interact with and how they engage in collaboration, during IPCP. An exploratory cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey; 142 occupational therapy practitioners responded. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and bivariate analyses; open-ended responses underwent consensual qualitative analysis. Participants reported most often engaging in IPCP with physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, nurses, physicians, and case managers, although variations in the top five professions were evident between practice settings. In addition, 82% of the respondents reported either feeling prepared or very prepared for IPCP after completing their pre-licensed educational programs. Two qualitative themes have emerged to describe key education-oriented and practice-oriented interprofessional experiences. To further enhance engagement in and preparedness for IPCP, occupational therapy professionals, and students may benefit from interprofessional training that involves the professions most often encountered during clinical practice. This type of learning could foster an understanding of communication and teamwork, thus enhancing readiness to participate in the IPCP team upon transition to practice.