An exploration of taught anatomy within occupational therapy: what is the role of anatomy education within the 21st century for occupational therapy programmes based in the United Kingdom?

Background: The move away from the occupational therapy profession being underpinned by a mechanistic paradigm to the contemporary paradigm indicated by Kielhofner (2009) means that the profession should have a central focus on occupation rather than underlying performance deficits. Whilst the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) (2019) recommend that higher education providers in the United Kingdom (UK) should equip students with knowledge of the underpinning sciences including anatomy, this paradigm shift calls into question the role and value anatomy knowledge holds for the occupational therapy profession. This research therefore aims to explore the role of anatomy within occupational therapy education and consider where its value lies within the 21st century. Method: A hermeneutic, phenomenological approach was employed to explore participant perspectives. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data from participants in four categories (occupational therapy students, practitioners, lecturers, and profession experts). Eight participants were interviewed in each category, totalling thirty-two participants. Reflexive thematic analysis was utilised to analyse the data and develop themes. Data were analysed separately for each category and then drawn together to identify key commonalities and differences. The findings were integrated using the Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition. Findings: Findings reveal continuing challenges with professional identity in medicalised settings and strong influences of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) and the practice context. There remains ongoing debate as to the core knowledge of the profession. Challenges and complexities also exist with the inclusion of anatomy education in occupational therapy curricula. Conclusion: Anatomy knowledge is essential within 21st century occupational therapy education programmes to ensure graduates can meet practice-based realities. Occupation-centred anatomy education is necessary to equip students with a strong professional identity, centralising the importance of occupation. The development of students’ lifelong learning skills is essential to ensure future occupational therapists take ownership of their learning needs to further expand their anatomy knowledge in accordance with practice-based demands.