Occupational therapy documentation in Arab countries: Current content, methods, challenges, and future directions

Abstract

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to describe clinical documentation of occupational therapy in Arab countries. An online survey was completed by 372 occupational therapists, 79.8% were bachelor’s degree holders and 39.5% had 1–5 years of experience. As reported, 40.3% had limitations restrict their ability to document OT services, 72.6% documented through manual forms, and 73.4% adhered to confidentiality requirements. Most participants required extra time (72.6%) and extra efforts (63.7%) for documentation, 45.2% believed that legal issues may arise if they do not document and all agreed documentation is essential. Comprehensive accurate documentation can be challenging with limited time, high caseload, inconsistency in formatting and terminology, and lack of experience and support. Documentation skills, knowledge, and content may vary based on ways of documentation, country of practice, age, experience, and education. This study represents an important first step in mapping knowledge and standardising documentation among Arab occupational therapists.