Occupational Therapy Profession for Women Health–Challenges for its Under Developed Services

Abstract

Occupational therapy has a pivotal role in the organization of health care, and has important role to improve the health and quality of life of women by facilitating participation in meaningful occupations. The aim of this paper is to present a summary of occupational therapy role for health of women, and an analytical perspective of the current issues eroding its professional autonomy and contributing to a critical lack of progress in Malaysia. Three key rootcauses – with an emerging summative theme of “triple whammy”, was identified using root cause analyses technique. The root causes were related to two internal and 1 external root-source:(1) Low numbers of occupational therapists, (2) Low universityeducation occupational therapy programs, and (3) Entrenched medical governance hindering the progress of therapy professionals. These interrelated key issues (roots) play a detrimental role in the advancement of a cost-effective, evidence-based best practice of the profession, and reduces its significant contributions towards the healthcare of all, including the issues of women health care. As a young profession compared to many other health disciplines, occupational therapy needs a mandate to protect its role autonomy, with enhance visionary pathway for growth, and to expand its roles, including for the underserved area of women health, in Asia’s male dominated world.