Research in Occupational Therapy: Luxury or Necessity?

Occupational therapists know that practical problems demand practical solutions which are a combination of the intuitive personal approach and planned observation. Observation must be systematic, consistent and deliberate if it is to be accurate and effective. This article recommends that all occupational therapists should have ready access to a university department or local occupational therapy school and that they should concentrate upon concise, appropriate and consistent measures of outcome. The author suggests that therapists start by looking at their own patients, and that, although researchers have traditionally sought large patient samples in the past, this approach may no longer be the most suitable, since newer and innovative approaches to research are now increasingly using single case analysis as an alternative method. Funding has always been difficult and one solution developed by St Loye's School of Occupational Therapy is put forward, that is, the establishment of a Foundation in order to promote research. With a little self-help, occupational therapists can become involved in planned observation and development of new methods. The Health Service review entitled ‘Working for Patients’ highlights the fact that the professional must withstand critical analysis from many sources, and that occupational therapists must clearly identify their product and define their focus. Occupational therapists now have the opportunity to present their observations and prove that they are not merely ‘a dying institution’ but ‘a living and influential force’.