Role perceptions and clinical reasoning of community health occupational therapists undertaking home visits

This paper presents the findings of a survey that aimed to: (i) describe the work of metropolitan Community Health Occupational Therapists (CHOTs) in Victoria; and (ii) to obtain basic information regarding the clinical reasoning CHOTs use during home visit assessments. Based on a literature review and clinical experience, a questionnaire was designed to elicit information about CHOT role perceptions and clinical reasoning. Questionnaires were, mailed to all 50 CHOTs in metropolitan Melbourne. Thirty-six responses were received (a response rate of 72%). Exploratory data analysis procedures were used to summarize the demographic data and closed questions. A series of open-ended questions and four case scenarios were analysed qualitatively. The findings indicated that the majority of community health occupational therapists were mature in age, widely experienced, and client centred in their diverse practice roles. Generally, they were highly confident of their skills in client-related tasks and enjoyed the main components of their roles, particularly home visiting. Participant responses to the four case scenarios indicated that they used procedural, interactive and conditional reasoning to identify the most important factors to consider, the action they would take, and whether they would see the client again. In conclusion, while the findings of this survey provide an overview of CHOT work in Victoria, further studies are urgently required to explore the clinical reasoning that supports this aspect of occupational therapy practice. © 2003 Australian Association of Occupational Therapists