How much do you know about the role of an occupational therapist in a primary care setting?
Dr. Traci Garrison, clinical associate professor for the department of occupational therapy at Missouri State University, recently published research in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT).
She worked with two other researchers to write the “Effect of Occupational Therapy in Promoting Medication Adherence in Primary Care: A Randomized Controlled Trial.”
The article helps to clarify the occupational therapist’s role in medication management.
The research was completed as part of Garrison’s doctoral degree. It provided an opportunity for collaboration with Jordan Valley Community Health Center (JVCHC).
Typically at JVCHC, patients with uncontrolled high blood pressure or type two diabetes are referred to the clinical pharmacist to address disease management.
In Garrison’s study, patients were also randomly assigned to receive occupational therapy to address medication management. The focus was on improving adherence.
“The occupational therapy intervention used motivational interviewing,” she said. “There was an emphasis on health literacy and collaborative examination of the patient’s habits, roles and routines to develop patient-centered strategies.”
Garrison hopes the article sheds light on how occupational therapists can assist in improving medication adherence and be a vital resource on primary care medical teams.
The article is in the third issue of Volume 77 for AJOT, which published on June 13.