Evaluation of Receptiveness and Barriers to Including Occupational Therapists on Primary Care Teams

Background: Although primary care providers (PCP) and occupational therapists recognize occupational therapists can be on the primary care (PC) team to address lifestyle management related to chronic conditions, health literacy, and behavioral health, few occupational therapists work in this setting; PC remains an emerging practice area. Method: We sought to determine if receptiveness to adding occupational therapists to PC teams has changed. We modified surveys from a 2017 study and added interviews to answer the following questions regarding occupational therapists in PC: (1) What are PCPs' and occupational therapists’ perceptions? (2) What are PCPs' comfort levels in delegating patient appointments to an occupational therapist? (3) How does reimbursement influence occupational therapists’ ability to work in PC? Results: Forty-one PCPs and 305 occupational therapists responded. Most PCP (98%) and occupational therapists (95%) respondents are receptive to occupational therapists in PC. Awareness of funding impacted occupational therapist receptiveness to adding OT to the PC team. Conclusion: PCPs and occupational therapists are receptive to including an occupational therapist on the PC team. PCPs are more comfortable delegating management of chronic conditions than behavioral health concerns to an OT team member. Education about occupational therapists’ contribution to PC and reimbursement prospects is critical to achieve the AOTA goal of occupational therapists working in PC.